Do you constantly strive for perfection? The truth is that perfection does not exist.
The perfection quest is the fastest, surest road to a world of unhappiness.
“Your time is limited so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, living with the results of other’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. Mostly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” ~Steve Jobs
This quote is a reminder of what’s truly important…being true to who yo are even if this means letting go of perfection.
Perfection is like a mirage. You imagine you can see it way out in the distance and so you chase and chase, only to be bitterly disappointed. Each time you get there, it has vanished into thin air…gone!.
Perfection is an illusion that keeps us caught in a never-ending cycle of unhappiness and disappointment.
As a holistic therapist and life coach, I have pinpointed some common reasons why people seek perfection plus a way for dealing with this destructive habit.
Why does one seek perfection?
The need to be perfect all goes back to self-worth. If you have a strong desire to be perfect, you may use the idea of perfection as a way to validate yourself a as worthy, valuable individual.
Take a moment to consider these two questions. If you were completely happy with who you are, why would you feel the need to be perfect in the first place? Or would you be perfectly happy, just the way you are?
Those who constantly seek perfection worry about what others think of them. They are actually seeking recognition because if they are perfect, nobody can find fault in them
Listening to the opinion of other people can often be a tremendous waste of your valuable time, especially when you listen to others’ criticism. Plus, if you are listening to others the whole time, you may be oblivious to the sound of your own inner voice, the one that truly matters.
If you rely on the opinions of others to steer you through life’s major decisions, you may very well end up living someone else’s life. Instead of getting caught up in the pursuit of perfection, what you need is to understand who you are . Then, just and go and live that life.
The Consequences of Perfection
The pursuit of perfection comes with many negative consequences that actually stop you from moving forward in life.
If you are too busy waiting for things to be perfect, you might be missing out on opportunities. There’s never a perfect time or place, so unless you want to be caught in the constant cycle of chasing perfection, it may be time to take action anyway.
The world’s most successful entrepreneurs had often started projects that were far from perfect, and transformed them into huge successes along the way.
In other words, you cannot afford to keep chasing perfection.
Perfection is blocking you from making things happen in life due to a fear of failure. It’s just not worth it!. If you’re not failing enough, you’re not close to success. So, start to look at perfection as a hindrance rather than something to take pride in.
One easy approach for breaking the negative perfection cycle is as follows:
Replace perfection with contentment…
Imagine if you could replace your constant pursuit for perfection with total contentment. How much happier and relaxed you would be! And I don’t mean inaction when I say contentment. It’s crucial we take action to make things happen in our lives, but we don’t need to do it in a way that is forced or obsessively perfect.
So, the next time you’re chasing perfection, step back and say to yourself, I already am perfect.” Then, sit back and enjoy the relaxed feelings of being content with where you’re at in life.