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The need for perfection can be destructive.  I speak from experience when I say that attempting to be a perfectionist can destroy momentum, create feelings of being “less than” when you can’t be perfect, and be downright exhausting.  And let’s be honest, perfection isn’t real.  It can also create unrealistic expectations for those around you.  While we all want to do our best, the drive to always be perfect isn’t practical.  Sometimes done is better because it’s still progress, and progress moves us forward!

As a reformed perfectionist, I have learned that while I want to always do the best for my family, friends, and myself, I also recognize my limitations.  We all have them.  That wasn’t an easy journey to understand that.   I was raised by a father who was clear that he expected perfection, otherwise, I was being lazy.  He made sure I knew that anything less than all A’s on a report card was unacceptable and it was made clear how disappointed he was.  That’s a tough realization for a third grader and let me tell you the less than straight A issue… it only happened once.  Unfortunately, a lot of damage was done.  When you grow up with such rigid standards, is there any surprise in how we manage as an adult?  That mental programming became an incessant need to always try to be perfect.  And it takes time to undo those absurd expectations.

If you find yourself feeling like “anything less than perfect doesn’t work,” I strongly encourage you to consider the impact it has on you.  Take it from someone who has traveled that path, there is healing on the other side.  As I’ve worked on this, I see how hard I was on myself.  On many, many occasions I pushed myself to the point of exhaustion.  For what?  

The upside is that once you move past this, it is truly freeing.  I know that the people who love, support, and care about me are still proud if what I do is less than perfect.