I release the thought that I must do everything without a single error or misstep. No one is perfect and striving to be superhuman only brings stress and disappointment. As the thought dissipates, so, too, do the pressure and stress I had put upon myself.
I can do an excellent job in my work without requiring that every project be absolutely perfect. When I think about it, I realize that any project, no matter how good, can always be improved upon in some way. So the pursuit of perfection is insatiable.
I can receive wonderful results in other areas of my life without having to be perfect.
Spending time with my spouse and children brings all of us joy. I do not have to be perfect to love and be loved. My family members do not have to be perfect for me to love them. We love each other because of who we are, faults and all.
Wouldn't life be boring if everyone were perfect? Our unique qualities bring variety and excitement to life. In the same way, wouldn't I be boring if I were perfect? I see now that being imperfect is more than just fine. It is very good!
Striving to be flawless is counterproductive to living a fulfilling life. Why spend time working toward an impossible goal when I could be using that same time to achieve goals that are real?
Rather than adding to my stress with impossible goals, I choose to fill my life with gratitude, peace, and happiness.
Today, I choose to be imperfect! I set achievable goals that I know I can accomplish and I feel great about them. I feel free to accomplish my goals now that the burden of perfectionism has been lifted.
Self-Reflection Questions:
1. Do I require perfectionism from others or myself? Why?
2. Do I feel I deserve to be loved, even though I'm imperfect?
3. What are my goals today? Can I achieve them without being perfect?
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Comments
I've just finished reading the reflexions about perfectionism.....and I wonder how many of us were "programmed" to strive for perfection...and to what degree this perfectionism actually stopped us from achiving our goals because we were never good enough,never knowing enough, never closed enough to the undefined ,really, perfection of our aspirations???
It came to my mind, that I've made real progress in life when I made concious decision "not to be good any longer".....when I decided just to be me, in the more then unperfect way!!!...surprisingly...instinctively my attention was diverted to the doingness, rather, then self critique.
And since I've changed...people around me, changed also! My tolerance level for the imperfections of others increased!!! ....I do deserve to be loved....but the concept of love and the meaning of the love issues in ones life also did change for me!!! Surprise, surprise!!! When we learn to "let go"....so much comes back enriched and re-defined!!!
The realisation that life is not striving for perfection but constant proces of goal setting and the journey towards achiving them...with and through likeminded people...is pure magic!!