Our life coach helps a client see that when it comes to happiness, making mistakes is an essential part of the mix.

A drive to make things "right" is pretty central to day-to-day life -- the dirty dishes would never leave the sink otherwise. But some people consistently take "right" to an extreme, and that's a problem.

I had an opportunity to explore this issue with Kendall, a Seattle woman who felt paralyzed by perfectionism, which was negatively affecting her health and happiness -- and her marriage.

Kendall is a 44-year-old physician, a thoroughly together grown-up -- except for the childhood legacy she carried into adulthood: a drive to get everything "just so." My suspicion was that this stemmed from having a parent who had a comment for everything. "My mother was extremely critical," she told me. "I was constantly on guard, waiting for the next blow."

Perfectionism like Kendall's is a common trait caused by, among other things, the pressure of our too-fast-paced society and the unrealistic expectations of others.

What's interesting about perfectionism is that it's both a blessing and a curse. At its best, it inspires excellence. At its worst, it creates an obsession with meeting inhumane standards that can cause anxiety, low self-esteem, and the feeling of never living up to one's potential. The trick is to find a healthy balance.