Successful people hold high expectations of themselves however they get the illusion of perfectionism. Research has shown that underneath perfectionism is a low self esteem. "Let me impress you with just how amazing I am to the point that I have turned myself inside out" is the mantra of a perfectionist. Of course everyone has been a perfectionist at one time or another. However, everyone looses when we are trying to knock ourselves out to impress another. Perfectionism has some very strict rules. #1 No mistakes allowed #2 No one can do it like I can #3 No mistakes allowed.
The tragedy about perfectionism is it puts us in a constant state of guilt and anxiousness. I just heard someone say recently, "Pack your bags, you are going on a guilt trip." Where in your life are you expecting unrealistic expectations of yourself? e.g. work, home, health, etc.? Goals are very important to stretch ourselves however we need to be kind, gentle and realistic with ourselves especially during challenging times. This doesn't mean we let our goals slip away it may mean we simply need to adjust them. e.g. I will work out every day to loose weight rather than I will work out 3 times per week minimum.
Let's remember we are human and vulnerable. I don't know about you but being around a perfectionist can leave me feeling uncomfortable. The intensity is like a Mac truck coming at you.
So where specifically can you set more realistic expectations of yourself?
Then let go and enjoy the journey! Getting real with who we are and what we are capable of doing in that day sets us free and the people around us seem to enjoy our company that much more!
Cheers,
Cate
Monday, May 10, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)