Say, for example, that an intense perfectionist racks up $14,900 worth of sales commissions, just shy of their self-imposed $15,000 goal (which was likely an arbitrary marker in the first place) but still breaking a company record. They know they’re supposed to be somewhat pleased with the result and can objectively register the net positive, but they cannot access an emotional sense of excitement or redemptive pride in their achievement because they were short of their goal and the outcome is all that matters.
