Enough Already!

I used to have a need to reach perfectionism. Nothing else to say really.

I don’t have that need anymore.

It took me most of my life so far to realize that if I want to be miserable, I must strive for perfection. Somewhere around turning 50, I gave up. I don’t mean that in a depressing way, I mean that I let go. That particular sack of potatoes isn’t on my back anymore. (I wish I could remember the video I watched that introduced me to this visual. It talked about the sack getting smelly and people looking at me. It was so funny and poignant at the same time.)

Now I find the middle. Perfect is the enemy of good- Voltaire. I’d rather get it done than not get it done because it’s not going to be perfect. I’d rather get the house reasonably clean than not do it at all because I won’t have time to dust every book on the bookshelf. I’d rather do something than not do anything because perfectionism stops me in my tracks. Why bother if it isn’t going to be perfect? I smell rotten potatoes.

Enough already! Who are you perfecting it for? And who’s definition of perfect are you using?

What is it you really want? “Perfect” is lofty and shifty. You may think something is perfect but someone will find something wrong. So decide what you really want and do it. Don’t wait for your idea, or someone else’s idea, of “perfect” to reveal itself before taking action.

Try practicing awareness about how you are functioning and what you are focused on. Are you looking at what’s gone wrong? The potato bag is filling up. Or are you looking at what went well and noticing what could be adjusted better for next time? The potato bag is getting lighter. You have more flexibility when you aren’t weighed down.

This blog is not perfect because I don’t know what that means anymore. If you get the idea I’m sharing, then it’s good enough.

Lighten the load and stretch! You got this.