--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It was exhausting, trying to be perfect…" description: "\"“It was exhausting, trying to be perfect. It feels good being able to be just me.”\" — Kristen Ashley" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/kristen-ashley-74_exhausting_it-was-exhausting-trying-to-be-perfect-i_1463573.png" --- # It was exhausting, trying to be perfect. It feels good… ![“It was exhausting, trying to be perfect. It feels good being able to be just me.” quote by Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/kristen-ashley-74_exhausting_it-was-exhausting-trying-to-be-perfect-i_1463573.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/kristen-ashley-74_exhausting_it-was-exhausting-trying-to-be-perfect-i_1463573.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d1/kristen-ashley-74_exhausting_it-was-exhausting-trying-to-be-perfect-i_1463573.png) > ““It was exhausting, trying to be perfect. It feels good being able to be just me.”” [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Striving for perfection is draining; embracing authenticity brings relief and joy. **In simple terms:** Being perfect is tiring; being yourself feels good. Key Takeaway Accept imperfections, be authentic. Themes self‑acceptance authenticity mental health Mood relieved hopeful Type personal motivational When to use this quote - personal growth - creative work - social media presence - relationship building Key Concepts perfectionism self‑compassion Questions to Reflect On - What would you change if you stopped chasing perfection? - How does authenticity improve your relationships? A Different Perspective Perfection can be a useful motivator, not a constant goal. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Trying to be perfect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trying-to-be-perfect/) ## Related quotes > [I've seen a lot of shows, but I can't possibly cram in everything that I'd like to, and it's exhausting trying to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathew-baynton/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-shows-but-i-can-t-possibly-cram-in-everything-that/) [Mathew Baynton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathew-baynton/) > [It's exhausting trying to impress someone and be a version of yourself that might be attractive to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-martin/it-s-exhausting-trying-to-impress-someone-and-be-a-version-of/) [Mae Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-martin/) > [“It’s exhausting, trying to make a bad person act good. 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But many of us are finding out that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/our-society-nurtures-the-illusion-that-all-the-rewards-go-to-the/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [People always try to be perfect. That's why they don't start anything. Perfection is the lowest standard in the world. Because if you're trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/people-always-try-to-be-perfect-that-s-why-they-don-t-start-anything/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [I don’t want to be perfect. I want to be useful, I want to be good, and I want to sound like myself. Trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-berkun/i-don-t-want-to-be-perfect-i-want-to-be-useful-i-want-to-be-good-and/) [Scott Berkun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-berkun/) > [Go out there and let it rip and don't worry about overthinking things and trying to be perfect. Because when you try to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-bridgewater/go-out-there-and-let-it-rip-and-don-t-worry-about-overthinking-things/) [Teddy Bridgewater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-bridgewater/) > [I'm trying to be perfect. Ah wait! NO! I'm trying to be like how my girl wants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yash-tiwari/i-m-trying-to-be-perfect-ah-wait-no-i-m-trying-to-be-like-how-my-girl/) Yash Tiwari > [I'm Trying: I'm trying To be perfect. I'm trying To be good. I'm trying To be what you want. I'm trying To be beautiful.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pm/i-m-trying-i-m-trying-to-be-perfect-i-m-trying-to-be-good-i-m-trying/) PM > [So I grew up feeling that I wasn't good enough, and that no-one would love me unless I was perfect. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tomlin/i-know-at-least-for-me-man-i-wanted-to-be-the-best-dad-i-could-be-i/) [Mike Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tomlin/) > [Don't waste ur time trying to be perfect 4 anybody, those who truly luvs u will take u for just who u are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blaze-olamiday/don-t-waste-ur-time-trying-to-be-perfect-4-anybody-those-who-truly/) [Blaze Olamiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blaze-olamiday/) > [Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion...What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/trying-to-be-perfect-may-be-inevitable-for-people-who-are-smart-and/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) ## More by Kristen Ashley > [“We both suffered but neither of us stopped living our lives and we got so much out of them, so, so much. And now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/we-both-suffered-but-neither-of-us-stopped-living-our-lives-and-we/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [“Makes him feel however Slim feels that makes him get close to you anytime you're even a little near, like any moment a lion's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/makes-him-feel-however-slim-feels-that-makes-him-get-close-to-you/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [“They didn't understand, it not being directed at them, what that smile could do. The power of it. It was like every time he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/they-didn-t-understand-it-not-being-directed-at-them-what-that-smile/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [“... it isn’t the kids who have two parents and a stable home who are the luckiest ones. 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To find the right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/everything-that-was-chace-keaton-urged-him-to-follow-her-to-ask-her/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [“If you worked hard for it, if you didn't give up, even when you found your way and you thought you had everything, life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/if-you-worked-hard-for-it-if-you-didn-t-give-up-even-when-you-found/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [“See, that's the beauty of books. We get to take what we want out of them and it can be different for everyone. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/see-that-s-the-beauty-of-books-we-get-to-take-what-we-want-out-of/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [“His fingers curled around her neck and he put his forehead to hers before sharing, “I remember, Rocky. I remember everything. I remember every……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/his-fingers-curled-around-her-neck-and-he-put-his-forehead-to-hers/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [“Tex looked at Duke “She’s got spunk,” he said. “Where I come from, we call it sass,” Duke replied. “Where I come from, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/tex-looked-at-duke-she-s-got-spunk-he-said-where-i-come-from-we-call/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) [Explore all 1,600 Kristen Ashley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) ## More Exhausting quotes > [I talk a lot, and that is probably exhausting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodie-whittaker/i-talk-a-lot-and-that-is-probably-exhausting/) [Jodie Whittaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodie-whittaker/) > [I'm OK with my appearance. I have made my peace with it after a long and frankly exhausting battle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-perkins/i-m-ok-with-my-appearance-i-have-made-my-peace-with-it-after-a-long/) [Sue Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-perkins/) > [Friendship is a difficult, dangerous job. It is also (though we rarely admit it) extremely exhausting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-bibesco/friendship-is-a-difficult-dangerous-job-it-is-also-though-we-rarely/) [Elizabeth Bibesco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-bibesco/) > [“It was exhausting being a schizophrenic, which he was still convinced he was.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-wolitzer/it-was-exhausting-being-a-schizophrenic-which-he-was-still-convinced/) [Meg Wolitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-wolitzer/) > [It is utterly exhausting being Black in America - physically, mentally, and emotionally. While many minority groups and women feel similar stress, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/it-is-utterly-exhausting-being-black-in-america-physically-mentally/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [One day I would want to be an Egyptologist, the next day an ornithologist. I was an exhausting child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-perkins/one-day-i-would-want-to-be-an-egyptologist-the-next-day-an/) [Sue Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-perkins/) > [It's exhausting trying to impress someone and be a version of yourself that might be attractive to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mae-martin/it-s-exhausting-trying-to-impress-someone-and-be-a-version-of/) [Mae Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mae-martin/) > [Seeing people I've been friends with for well over a decade just turn on me. It was just so exhausting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-sandoval/seeing-people-i-ve-been-friends-with-for-well-over-a-decade-just-turn/) [Tom Sandoval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-sandoval/) > [Today's competitiveness, so much imposed from without, is exhausting, not exhilarating; is unending-a part of one's social life, one's solitude, one's sleep, one's sleeplessness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-kronenberger/today-s-competitiveness-so-much-imposed-from-without-is-exhausting/) [Louis Kronenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-kronenberger/) > [“Existing is exhausting. I want to live - How to be”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-a-bitez/existing-is-exhausting-i-want-to-live-how-to-be/) [P.A. Bitez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-a-bitez/) > [It's literally, if I'm not working out, I eat the whole time I'm not working out. It's exhausting. You have to force-feed. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-j-watt/it-s-literally-if-i-m-not-working-out-i-eat-the-whole-time-i-m-not/) [J. J. Watt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-j-watt/) > [The endless definitions for feminism are exhausting. It's this, it isn't this, it's only this if you're this, etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cazzie-david/the-endless-definitions-for-feminism-are-exhausting-it-s-this-it-isn/) [Cazzie David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cazzie-david/) > [“To be in a long-term state of limbo, not knowing the outcome or length of time waiting, is utterly, shatteringly exhausting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanya-marlow/to-be-in-a-long-term-state-of-limbo-not-knowing-the-outcome-or-length/) [Tanya Marlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanya-marlow/) > [Oh, but my treasure, it is so much less exhausting. You only have to forgive once. To resent, you have to do it all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-l-stedman-2/oh-but-my-treasure-it-is-so-much-less-exhausting-you-only-have-to/) [M. L. Stedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-l-stedman-2/) > [Playing live, you can't survive, certainly not in England. We used to work daytime jobs and play gigs at night. It was very exhausting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-rossdale/playing-live-you-can-t-survive-certainly-not-in-england-we-used-to/) [Gavin Rossdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-rossdale/) Browse all 485 Exhausting quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It was exhausting, trying to be perfect. 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