Let go of perfection | Take action and practice
Let go of perfection …
take action & practice
Do you constantly put important goals on hold as the ‘time isn’t right’?
I have used to do this a lot! More times than I care to remember … but no more!!!
Why do you put things off?
I believe it is because you are looking for the elusive star-aligned moment, but as you know there is no such thing as the perfect time.
Dig a little deeper and your delay tactics are not just about finding the ‘perfect’ time, they are also about your desire to get ‘it’ right, the reluctance to move out of your comfort zone and the fear of being vulnerable.
You need to give yourself permission to let go of ‘perfection’ and instead take action. This means:
To stop waiting for the right moment
To be ok with making mistakes
To embrace our fears of the unknown
The time to take action is now
The sooner you take action and start practicing your new behaviours, the more comfortable you become with change, which gets you closer to the version of yourself you want to be. Doing something new is all about practice. The practice never ends, it’s about getting up everyday and trying your best but not worrying about the odd hiccup.
Metamorphosis
As much as you want to emerge from a chrysalis like a beautiful butterfly – it’s not possible to go from A to Z without putting in the practice and the effort. If you remove a butterfly from a chrysalis without letting it go through the process of setting itself free, the wings don’t form and it dies.
Butterflies develops their strength and grow in the struggle to set themselves free. Similarly, you can only develop strength and resilience by persistently practicing your new behaviours so you learn how to master them.
“You practice and you get better. It’s very simple.”
Perfectionism is holding us back
As Lynne Cazaly points out in her book ‘Ish’, we have a cultural obsession with perfectionism. The “increasing attention …. on ridiculously and impossibly high standards” is holding many of us back on taking action on our goals, dreams and desires.
Lynne's words took me back to my first trip around India in my early 20’s when I turned down an opportunity to learn yoga. Instead of saying YES. I thought of all the reasons not to join in: I don’t know any yoga. I am not sure if I can touch my toes. Am I yogi enough? What if I make a fool of myself? I let ‘Little Miss Perfect’ get in the way of me doing something that is now a really important part of my life.
“Perfectionism is actually a form of self-sabotage …. Perfectionism is a delay tactic that we use subconsciously to avoid being rejected.”
Practice helps you grow. Perfectionism keeps you stuck in a holding pattern
Understanding your tendencies toward perfectionism can really help you move forward. So armed with this knowledge, here are five steps you can take to give yourself permission to embark on the change you want to make:
Let go of this idea of needing to be in a perfect or ready state
Consciously stop overthinking it and commit to action
Make a start with achievable steps and be kind to yourself
Take it one step at a time – mastery is the result of practice
Practice every damm day – improvement and growth will follow
You can use these steps to help you take action for any life goals: changing career, getting fit and strong, healthy eating and drinking habits, mindfulness and meditation practices, growing your confidence and so much more.
I would love to hear your thoughts on moving through perfectionism.