Perfectionism Revisited
Are you still struggling with perfectionism? Are you spending hours trying to make everything in your life perfect? Have you stopped to think about what you are missing by trying so hard to make your life (or certain parts of it) “perfect?”
The biggest thing being a perfectionist robs you of is TIME. You see, there is never enough time to make everything in life “perfect.”
Think of this: You want to attend a special event like a wedding or class reunion. You want to look knock-out gorgeous, so you focus on losing weight and finding a gorgeous dress. Then you find the right shapewear to enhance your appearance. You practice putting on false eyelashes and perfect make-up to hide all your flaws. Then there is your hair. You have it dyed, cut, and styled so it looks just right. These things are all well and good provided you have the time in your schedule (and funds) to spend this much effort preparing for one evening. I admit it. I have done these things, so I am not putting down others who wish to do so, but the truth is most of us just don’t have the time to devote to prepping for one evening.
Yes, we all want to look nice for a special event, but perfectionism is robbing us of the time we could have spent relaxing, reading a book, listening to a podcast, visiting with friends, or watching an extraordinary sunrise or sunset. Such is the cost of perfectionism! It’s a deep cost. It is a continuing cost too because it isn’t just your time that you lost.
You also lost the time that could have been better spent on self-care and relaxation. These are important because we tend to be more relaxed and centered around others when we have enough “me time.”
Think of this: When you attend that special event, people may or may not remember how you looked, but they will remember how you carried yourself, how you expressed yourself, your tone and demeanor. Those traits are obtained by having enough down time and feeling “good in your own skin.” When we feel good about ourselves, we come across as happier, more positive, and much calmer. People want to be around happy and upbeat people.
Perfectionism also puts a huge dent in our self-worth because we tend to think we are still not “good enough”. I mean if we thought we were already perfect we wouldn’t be working so hard to become “perfect.” Somehow striving to do better, be more, and appear to be more polished, makes us notice the non-perfect parts all that much more!
Along the way, as we strive for perfect, we tend to forget to be grateful. Being grateful for the many blessings in our life is really important. We realize our life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful.
It is much like stopping to smell the roses. If we don’t stop to smell them, we will be missing out on the miracle of their growth, their development, their beauty, and their enchantment — much like we miss out on the miracle of us.
Janie J is the author of “Live the Life You Have Imagined,” “Single and Sixty,” “The Unimagined Awakening” and The New I Am Document, Volume 1.” She began writing books after a spiritual awakening let her tap into universal wisdom. Her mission is to help others live a life of more joy and understanding and to raise the consciousness of all humankind. Get started on your own journey with a free copy of the Connect to Transform Process at www.TheNewIAMMovement.com/transform.
