Why Being Obsessive is Not a Bad Thing

It’s not uncommon to think of being obsessive from a negative perspective, especially if you’ve had unpleasant experiences.

Being obsessive is unhealthy if it causes you mental, emotional and physical problems, and if it also affects other people.

What Does Being Obsessive Mean?

A simple definition is it is someone who thinks and behaves in an obsessive manner. The dictionary defines obsession as “the domination of one’s thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc.”

Where this can become a problem is if someone is obsessed with another person and causes them discomfort or harm. It’s also a problem if obsession causes self-destructive behaviours, which can lead to other health-related issues.

The Downside of Being Obsessive

Disadvantages of being overly obsessive includes:

• Overworking to the point of exhaustion or mental breakdown.
• Not taking care of yourself.
• Avoiding responsibility.
• Neglecting the important people in your life.
• Losing integrity with yourself and others if you don’t keep your word.

If you consider obsession from a positive perspective, you can learn to use it to your advantage. Being obsessed about something that is valuable and meaningful, can affect the level of success you achieve.

5 Reasons Why Being Obsessive Can Make a Positive Impact in Your Life

Here are five reasons why being obsessive can make a positive difference in your life and why it shouldn’t just be seen from a negative perspective.

1. It will improve your ability to focus. If you are obsessive with something, such as achieving a goal, you will direct as much energy as you can toward it. This means you will develop a higher level of focus for what is important.
2. It will give you greater clarity on what to say yes or no to. When you are obsessed, it will make it easier to identify your priorities. This means knowing what to give your focus to will become a lot easier. This will also help you make better decisions.
3. It will cause you to master your schedule. Knowing what you must achieve will make you place a high value on your time. As you manage your priorities better, you will experience faster progress and more success.
4. It will help you become more creative. The more obsessed you are with what you want to achieve, the more inclined you will be to seek solutions whenever you face challenges. This means you will improve your ability to solve problems and also become more resourceful.
5. It will allow you to improve your skills. To achieve something worthwhile will require new things. This can include new knowledge, skills, habits and actions. Having an obsession will require you to hone your skills and continually improve.

How You Can Use Obsession to Your Advantage

Here are things you can do to use obsession in a healthy way so you can reap its rewards.

• Be obsessed with challenging yourself and becoming the best version of yourself.
• Be obsessed with your overall health and wellness.
• Be obsessed with doing high-quality work or providing high-quality service.
• Be obsessed with taking full responsibility for your results and your life.
• Be obsessed with staying true to who you are.

Final Thoughts

Having an obsession for something worthwhile will generate greater motivation and cause you to do things you have not done before. If you do, you will develop healthy habits and achieve new things.

If you use being obsessive in a detrimental way, you will do more harm than good to yourself and others. Knowing how to use obsession to your advantage is a trait you will want to develop.

It’s time to be obsessed with something useful in your life.

Action Step: Choose one thing you can be obsessed about. It can be a cause you want to support or a goal you want to achieve. Apply the ideas suggested here so you can turn that obsession into a positive trait.

Question: What are other reasons why being obsessive is an advantage?