I’ve never been one for perfection. Whether it’s in my personal appearance, how I approach housework, making a meal or even the work I do, I’m happy once I do my best. Sure, I’d love to be perfectly groomed and dress with a bit more style and panache, but the reality is that I’ll never be found in my high heels and finery winning any best-dressed competition. Nor do I get in a panic if the dinner dishes aren’t cleared away immediately, or beds don’t get made or windows washed as often as they should. I can even tolerate nettles and creeping buttercup in the wrong place in the garden.

And now new research says that I’m probably a lot more productive because I’m not a perfectionist. Seemingly, having obsessively high standards, particularly when it comes to work, is counter-productive and leads to chronic stress and burnout.

Up to now, the personality trait that features excessively high standards, along with harsh self-criticism, has been associated with virtue, high achievement and being conscientious. But not any more.

New research by the University of Bath and York St John University, which was published in Personality & Social Psychology Review and reported by The Telegraph, has found that perfectionism is largely destructive and can lead to poorer performance at work.

It seems the personality trait for perfection is closely associated with burnout, which manifests as extreme fatigue, poorer work outcomes and eventual detachment from work. According to the research, rather than being more productive, perfectionists are likely to find the workplace quite difficult and stressful. If they are unable to cope with demands and deal with uncertainty, they will experience a range of emotional difficulties.

It turns out that when hiring staff or dealing with life in general, diligence, flexibility and perseverance are much better qualities when compared to perfectionism – something which hasn’t escaped the attention of Google. The internet giant has initiatives to counter perfectionism and drive up quality by rewarding staff for failure.

Someone who certainly won’t need any reward for failure is Majella Tierney, who spearheads the Taste of Cavan in the Equestrian Centre in Cavan this Friday and Saturday. I was at this event last year and was impressed by how well run it was. I’m delighted to be back again this year. There will be over 100 mainly Cavan-based stall holders showcasing their food produce, as well as a great range of chefs making the most of this produce in cookery demonstrations taking place all day, on both days. Last year, over 35,000 people visited the event. With the new, bigger location, they are hoping for an even larger crowd this year.

Finally, Sean and I were in Killarney recently and we treated ourselves to afternoon tea at the Lake Hotel. And what a treat it was. Open homemade brown bread sandwiches of ham off the bone, chicken, egg salad and smoked salmon to start. Scones with cream and jam and delicious fruit cake to follow. Next came a couple of different filled macaroons, chocolate layer cake, mini muffin, crème-filled cone, chocolate cookie, custard tart, meringues and a chocolate coconut confection. It’s a real treat for €16 and we left with a goodie bag filled with what we just couldn’t manage to finish in one sitting. We will be back.