“People who are walking around as perfectionists are ultimately afraid that the world is going to see them for who they really are and [that] they won’t measure up.”
– Oprah Winfrey
The above quote is from an interview between Oprah Winfrey and Brené Brown. I felt attacked while listened with my mouth open in awe. Here I am, looking at my list of blog topics or half-written blogs because I have deemed them not good enough to publish for months. Sigh.
Why aren’t they good enough?
- I think maybe someone would be offended.
- I think maybe I didn’t cover all areas of the topic.
- I think it’s probably too short.
- What kind of pictures will go with this post.
- What article am I going to hyperlink in my blog for SEO purposes.
- WordPress and Grammarly says I didn’t use my topic word in the first sentence.
- The format is too informal or not formal enough.
I don’t want to be a perfectionist any more! I just want to do my absolute best and accept that as enough. We can’t please everyone. We all know this but we still sometimes fall into wanting everything to be perfect. The perfectly cleaned house, perfect business plan, the perfect time for ______________. In my case… it’s the perfectly written blog.
We must understand the difference between giving it our best and perfectionism. We are aiming for something unrealistic with trying to perfectly exist. Perfect does not exist.
It will never get there, so aim for your most authentic best self! When we do the proper research, plan and give our best… then that is all we could ever ask for – to always give our best selves no matter what that may look like. Be proud in knowing you gave it your all and its genuine.
Don’t let perfection hold you back. There will always be room for growth and improvement.
Perfectionism can:
- Keep us from our purpose
- Diminish our self-worth, self-esteem
- Take the fun out of life
- Cause mental illnesses like anxiety, stress or even depression
Ways to work on perfectionism tendencies:
- Become aware of your thoughts, actions and patterns holding you back
- Keep the goal of a specific task in mind and give it your best
- Give yourself grace
- Set realistic goals
- Be open to constructive criticism without taking it to heart
As I wrote this blog, I found myself trying to perfect it. But, I got through it with awareness and the intent to do my best. For that first step, I am proud of myself.
What is your perfectionistic ways hindering you from doing?
Now is the time to become aware of self, take notes and do something about it. You deserve to show the world what you’re made of!
Please like, comment, share and Subscribe to join the
Happi Girl Tribe!!
xo, Jasmine.
Perfectionism is so dangerous because it’s glorified in the media and by “alpha” driven content . Perfectionism is actually a real symptom of anxiety, low self-worth, and in some case OCPD (obsessive-compulsive personality disorder). I started talking myself Into doing something and stopped worrying about all of the how’s.
Very Dangerous! You are so right about perfectionism being glorified. It’s everywhere and so hard to get away from. We must be intentional on what we allow to shift our thoughts in that way. I’m currently on an Instagram cleanse and only hoping on certain sites for specific things. Poetry snaps for you pushing yourself. Thanks for your comment Kera.
Great read! It’s so true that “ Keep us from our purpose”!
Such a good post! Trying to be perfect is literally the killer of progress. Working to just be, and not overthink everything is big goal of mine.
Great… Its so beautifully written…
hycoostore – https://www.hycoostore.com
Great content! Keep up the good work!
Thank you so very much