Perfection – What's It Costing You?

Perfection is a topic that is near and dear to my heart because some where along the way I got the message to be perfect. The perfect person who did not make mistakes, who was the perfect weight, who wore the perfect clothes… I think you get the idea.

How did that message to be perfect serve me? How does it serve me now when it rears its head from time-to-time?

Not very well! Personally, it’s no fun dealing with the pressure, pressure that hangs heavy like a weight around my ankle. It’s an energy drain and emotionally stifling.

If this all sounds too familiar, then please continue to read on…

1) There is no such thing as perfect and striving for perfection is a never ending circle. How does being dizzy sound?

2) The quest for perfection creates pressure which distracts you from those things that are productive and will serve you better.

3) Needing to be perfect lands you a one-way ticket to Comparison-ville. In comparing yourself to others and what others have, you negate and miss out on all the wonderful things that you have, all the amazing attributes you possess.

4) Trying to achieve perfection is like walking through life with a bag over your head. You miss out on some fantastic growth and learning opportunities.

My wish for you is that you give yourself permission to not be perfect. Give yourself permission to be human, with warts and all. It is the warts and all that makes you the special person that you are.

In closing, I wish to share some really awesome quotes which I hope will empower you and provide some good food for thought.

“The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.” - Anna Quindlen

“Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life. “- Dr. David M. Burns

“Assert your right to make a few mistakes. If people can't accept your imperfections, that's their fault.” - Dr. David M. Burns

“Perfectionism is simply putting a limit on your future. When you have an idea of perfect in your mind, you open the door to constantly comparing what you have now with what you want. That type of self criticism is significantly deterring.” -John Eliot, Ph.D., Reverse Psychology for Success

Here’s to living a life without perfection!nn© 2006 – What’s Within U. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of content allowed, but must contain a link to What’s Within U (www.whatswithinu.com), copyright notice, and author’s name.