Many people I know (myself included) have one habit that is holding them back from reaching their true potential and from taking massive action towards their goals and dreams. This habit is PERFECTIONISM and it is HORRIBLE!!
If you are a perfectionist like me, you will always struggle with things being not good enough. It doesn’t matter what area of your life we are talking about. It can be a presentation for work that you keep tweaking, your diet that is not 100% on track, or your relationship that could be better.
Perfectionists tend to think if something is not 100%, it is worth nothing. This mentality leads to so much pain in our lives that I ask myself why are we doing this??
Close your eyes for a second and think about situations in your life where perfection caused pain for you.
Here are a few examples of my own life:
I didn’t go full-time with my training and coaching business for a long, long time because I always thought I wasn’t good enough. I needed more knowledge, more experience, more resources. The conditions weren’t perfect to go all in.
When I started working out I was embarrassed to use some of the machines because I thought my technique wasn’t good enough and I was worried about what other people may think when they see me on the machine trying to get everything right.
I didn’t submit an article to a very famous newspaper because I just couldn’t get it perfect. As a result, I missed the deadline.
I used to have the habit of throwing my good intentions overboard when it comes to my diet as soon as I snacked on something that wasn’t on my plan because I thought “Oh well, I already fucked it up, I might as well eat more cheesecake”.
All of these decisions caused pain in one way or another. I could have gone full-time with my business a long time ago but I didn’t realize until recently that the conditions will never be perfect and that there is always more to learn. I could have progressed much faster on my fitness journey had I asked for help with the machines in the gym. I probably would have been published in this magazine but I missed the deadline because I wanted the article to be perfect. I could have reached my fitness goals faster if I didn’t beat myself up for not being 100% on track with my diet every single day.
What is it that you lost, missed, or didn’t achieve because you wanted to be perfect? Always remember, it’s not about perfection. It’s about progress. Strive to be better and better every day instead of trying to get it perfect right away. The journey will be much more enjoyable and you will be able to build on your mistakes and become better every day! Don’t let your perfectionism be a prison for your true potential!
Written by: Jen
The Online Personal Trainer for Women