Seeking Perfection

Assessment:

Do you struggle with the crippling thought of needing to be perfect at everything you do?

• I must be the perfect (insert anything here).  
• My (insert anything here) must be perfect.

If this is true for you, let me start off by telling you that you are not alone. This is a battle that I have dealt with for a majority of my life.

Allow me to share with you the lessons that I have learned while combating this backwards mentality.

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Lessons:

1.) The first step is understanding that nobody or any one thing is perfect.

• Perfection is a fallacy.
• Nobody is expecting you or anything that you to be perfect.
• It is all in your head.

2.) To be perfect at anything is attempting to do something while avoiding any failure, fear, or anxiety.

• Failure creates growth through discomfort.
• Failure is inevitable.
• Failures are lessons that need to be learned.
• Fear is generally your body’s compass. It leads you to where you need to go.
• Anxiety is generally the fuel that reminds you where you need to go (sometimes way too often).

3.) The broken path to perfection is a recipe for burnout.

• More susceptible to depression.
• Lowers self-esteem.
• Hinders productivity.

4.) Perfection is sought after when  trust in ones self to perform has been tarnished.

5.) Perfection is a marketing tool. It hypes up the “latest and greatest” product so that we buy in, and it works.  

• This is why you’re reading this post.
• This is  why products that  are labeled “the perfect___)” sell.

6.) Perfection is often used as an excuse not to do something.

7.) Perfection is a form of avoidance. 

 

Hopefully that bring you some clarity. Now let’s talk about how to combat it.

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Active Countermeasures:

Align yourself with your purpose.

• What is your “why”?
• The stronger this is, the less you’ll feel the need to compensate.

Be goal oriented

• What do I want to accomplish in the next day, week, month, year, etc. ? 
• Set short, intermediate, and long term goals.
• Focus on the day to day / the journey.

Establish a strong sense of self worth.

• Daily affirmations.
• Do the things you fear to build the confidence you may lack.
• Protect your positive energy.
• Make a list of promises to yourself and keep them.

Be accepting to constructive criticism.

• Most people are not out to hurt you.
• It is healthy to see other people’s perspectives.
• Your thoughts are not the “end all be all”.

At the end of the day it is up to us, nobody else, to take the necessary steps to weaken the fallacy of being perfect.