The Exhausting Illusion of Perfection: Why Trying to Be ‘Perfect’ Holds You Back

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I am a recovering perfectionist.

I spent most of my youth believing that I needed to be ‘a certain way’ to be liked, loved, and seen as successful.

It took a lot of energy being perfect.  (Of course, I wasn’t actually perfect, but boy I gave it my best shot.)

It was a full time job.  And it was exhausting.

Except that I never realized I was doing it.  I mean, at all.  I was just being Me.  I thought.

Once I got into my 30’s I got the gift of falling flat on my face and feeling the sting of failure.  

Gift you say?

Yes, although painful, it taught me that perfection isn’t real.  It’s just a distraction.  It places our focus on the wrong things and keeps us from being in relationship with our true self.

And once I realized that, I let down the very heavy mask I had been carrying around.  

Boy, did that feel good.

All of a sudden, I felt lighter.  And less burdened.  I felt like I could just be Me.

The problem was, I had no idea who I really was.

When you are constantly trying to be perfect, you are being a character in a story. Basically, you are acting.

Now maybe it’s Your Story.  And maybe it’s fun!  But if you aren’t in touch with who you really are, you are not living an authentic life.

And that means, you are not connected to your purpose.

When we do not understand who we are and why we are here, we are missing the whole point of life.

Talk about FOMO?!

This is FOMO on steroids.

And as a result, we are missing out on pure Joy and Happiness.

In order for us to get clear on our purpose, we must let the mask of perfection go.  

And at its core, that begins by loving yourself.  And allowing that authentic person to show up in life without a mask.  

That can be a scary thought.

Think about how perfectionism impacts all of the areas of your life:

In relationships:  are you really allowing people in?  Are you cultivating deep bonds with people?  Or are you more focused on being the person you think they want you to be?

At work:  are you holding yourself back from future opportunities and promotions because you keep doing the project over and over until it’s perfect?  Kind of like polishing a cannon ball?  

With money:  are you spending all of your money on looking a certain way?  On clothes, makeup, hair, car, etc.

In daily life:  Are you truly enjoying your life?  Or are you completely focused on being a perfect version of yourself and missing all of the opportunities and experiences that are right in front of you?

💡What if you take the rest of this year to start a new habit that will help you change your life.  To step out of perfectionism and into You.

When you are comfortable in your own skin, it shows.  Because how we feel inside, shows up on the outside.  Perfectionism is a mask we hold up in front of us to hide behind.  And the longer we do it, the heavier it gets.  And the more energy it sucks from us daily.

Imagine what you can do with that lost energy?

Imagine the people you will attract to you when you put the mask down?

Imagine how you will feel when you are filled with an abundance of energy and self love?

As someone who has gone through this, I can say with all certainty that you will not regret letting the mask go.  But it is a choice.  And it takes commitment.  

But if you decide you are worth it, and that you deserve a Joyful life, you will experience an internal freedom and peace.  And let me tell you, it is so empowering.  

Make the commitment to create a habit that is in alignment with letting perfectionism go.  Here are some ideas to get you started:

Limit social media.

Stop weighing yourself daily.

Start journaling your dreams and desires.

Ask a few close friends to tell you about your top 3 qualities.

Meditate on who you are.  As Deepak Chopra suggests, ask, “Who am I?”

Start a self care routine that embraces you and all of your imperfections.

Stop comparing yourself to others.

Choose a mantra like, “I love myself.” And say it daily, several times a day.

Let me let you in on a little secret:  None of us are perfect.  If you are a human being, you are by definition, imperfect.

Our time here is meant for us to learn about ourselves and to grow.  To better understand our heart, mind, body, and soul.  

Insisting on being perfect is just a distraction.  And it is resistance that is holding you back from your true potential.

You were made as You with a purpose that is only true for you.  Don’t hide it.  Don’t miss the entire purpose of why you are here!  And don’t make us miss out on knowing the real You.  

So put down your mask and exhale.

There you are! It’s nice to meet you!

You can Emerge Positive.

Positively,

deanne

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