Perfectionism Paralyzes.
Perfectionism blinds us to the love, beauty and perfection hidden in each moment. Masked as a commitment to quality and greatness, it results in procrastination and paralysis. Scripture says when we wait for conditions to be perfect, we will never start.
“He who watches the wind [waiting for all conditions to be perfect] will not sow [seed], and he who looks at the clouds will not reap [a harvest].” Ecclesiastes 11:4
Perfectionism is rooted in fear and brings out our worst.
Perfectionism (like any “ism”) is an attitude, belief of practice. For many it has become the practice of setting impossible standards for our body, our work and our life.
“Perfectionism is a self destructive and addictive belief system that fuels this primary thought: If I look perfect, and do everything perfectly, I can avoid or minimize the painful feelings of shame, judgment, and blame.” – Brené Brown
Learning to drop the “ism” in perfectionism allows us to move forward and enjoy the journey.
Here are 3 Keys to Overcome Perfectionism
Change Your Definition.
The first step to change is to realize you CAN change. Often we adopt definitions that don’t serve us. For example, one of my clients held a definition of perfection “as not making a mistake”. Not only is that definition not found in the dictionary, it is an impossible standard to achieve! How we define things shape our life. The good news is we CAN change our definition! Change begins with awareness. E.g. one dictionary defines perfect as, “Excellent”. Striving to be excellent motivates and leads to greatness. Striving to not make mistakes often leads to not attempting or stretching ourselves.
Don’t confuse your work and your worth.
Who are you? We often confuse our roles with who we are. E.g. When I ask, “Who are you?” I often receive answers such as, “I AM a wife” or “I AM a mother”. This is not who you are. This is a role. Being a doctor or a secretary is a profession not your identity.
When we confuse what we do with who we are our self worth becomes performance based.Work is what you do.
Love, light, a child of the Most High God is who you are!
The danger of linking our identity to our work is the constant sense of not being good enough. We are never “there”. The words, “I AM” are the most powerful in the universe. Who you are never changes. As you become aware of who you are perfectionism looses its stronghold.
Focus on Your Success.
What you focus on expands. When we focus on our mistakes we make more of them. This leads to the downward spiral of perfectionism. When we focus on our success we create more of it. Try this: Every evening before you sleep, review the successes you had that day. It doesn’t matter the size of your win. It can be completing a project or exercising that day. What matters is that you think about your success with gratitude. Celebrate and congratulate yourself on your success. Feel your success. If you can do so privately say a big “whohoo”! “Think, Feel and Speak your Way to Success” by activating the power of the mind-heart-mouth connection.
*For more great resources including “Think, Feel & Speak Your Way to Health & Prosperity” and “Manifest your Goals, Dreams and Desires Quickly“, visit www.prosperinallthings.com/resources
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