Are any of you perfectionists? I am and I can tell you it is NOT something that has served me well throughout my lifetime. It has been stifling. It has been crippling. It has stopped me from doing something even before I ever got started. It fuels the fire of self-doubt and self-criticism. None of these things help me to be on top of my mental game. In fact the opposite is true. It saps my energy and enthusiasm. And this is no longer acceptable to me.
This blog is a very good example. I seriously know nothing about blogging. The technology involved is kicking me in the butt (see Technophobia Tailspin Take Aback for more on that!) Normally, I’d read, research, get overwhelmed and shut right down. Maybe I’d write a post or two and feel good about it that but stop right there. The reasons would be endless…
* but one would cut me off right at the pass. Not being perfect. Not doing it good enough. Not.Being.Good.Enough. Does any of this ring true for you?
Segway Alert 🚨 The endless reasons I would quit before I really get rolling? Goodness, that is entirely another post. Or ten. Or twenty… You get the picture. 😂
But I digress, I was talking about perfectionistic tendencies. This is the first time that I am not shutting down. It is quite uncomfortable, I must say. Instead of putting it off until… (I’ve proofed a post a million times or I’ve figured out tags or I’ve figured out how to upload pictures or understand EVERYTHING there is to know about EVERYTHING!); instead of doing that… I am doing something Every.Single.Day.
It excites me to be putting one foot in front of the other and seeing results. The posts might be imperfect. The blog site might be elementary. I am making a great many mistakes. My progress is slow. But I am moving forward!
My mistakes are my mistakes and I am learning from each and every one of them. The sense of accomplishment is mine and it feels amazing! And the end result of this? Oh my goodness if I am not waking up in the morning with more enthusiasm than I have ever felt in my entire life. I am celebrating each little success. Because achieving my dreams will take place by choosing new actions one day at a time.
The new actions are these:
- learning, learning, and more learning (and yes, this includes technology)
- writing, writing, and writing (about going after my dreams!)
- following the plan I developed today. 🙂
- continuing to write in my journal about why I can achieve my dreams (today’s acknowledgement? “Why I can achieve my dreams: I can achieve my dreams because I am proving something to myself. I am not shutting down this blog because is not a perfect, beautiful, witty, knock your socks off blog.”
I feel butterflies in my stomach because I just realized something! This blog is going to evolve as I evolve! It is going to get better as I get better. And that is wonderful! Why would I expect myself to be perfect at this new venture ( or any new venture)? What an unrealistic expectation (and that is no longer acceptable.)
I can tell the phrase “no longer acceptable to me” is going to come up a lot! And that IS acceptable. I’m really flipping everything upside down in my life. The view is quite different from this upside down perspective and I’m okay with that. And how about this for reframing perfectionism? I AM perfect in my INPERFECTION!
What would it look like for you from the upside down view? What is no longer acceptable to you? Let’s flip things upside down together. I know we CAN do it together! You know why?
It’s time…
Blessings dear ones,
Christine