Research shows us it takes 66 days on average to form a new habit. 

With 95 days left in 2011, there's plenty of time for you to make a difference!  

Select that something you've been wanting to do all year yet for haven't, and concentrate on making it so by December 31, 2011. 

We have some tips and pointers this month if perfectionism is getting in the way or if your confidence needs a boost. We're rooting for your success!

Are you trapped in the paradox of perfection? Do you want to produce perfect outcomes yet fear failure so much you quit trying or give up and never get anything completed?

In a society that idolizes flawlessness, it's easy to step over the line into the dark side of perfectionism. That the space were you make an art form of always over-delivering faultless outcomes, even when that level of work isn't warranted.

There are advantages, of course, to being conscientious and wanting to excel. Those aims are healthy, especially when they pull you encouragingly toward a desired goal. But if you perpetually push yourself to be the absolute best and don't allow any shortcomings or defects (as you define them by your standards), then you're mired in unhealthy perfectionism.

"There's a difference between excellence and perfection," writes Miriam Adderholdt, author of Perfectionism: What's Bad About Being Too Good? "Excellence involves enjoying what you're doing, feeling good about what you've learned, and developing confidence. Perfection involves...always finding mistakes no matter how well you're doing."

To aim for excellence rather chase the elusiveness of perfection, remember these three things: (continue reading)