Finding The Cure for Perfectionism

Do you find yourself getting stuck in the same ruts or never making the progress you want to make because nothing seems good enough? Here’s what I’ve learned is the cure for perfectionism. 

I’m going to be honest with you.

For most of my adult life, I have been a SERIAL QUITTER.

Don’t get me wrong, I work really, really hard at my day jobs. I strive to stay true to my word, to meet everyone’s expectations of me consistently. I try to solve every problem that comes across my path.

I feel a personal commitment to making sure by everyone else’s standards I get everything right all the time. (I think they call this a perfectionist?)

But when I come to myself, it tends to be a different story. I’m a serial quitter.

I don’t quit because I’m lazy or lack drive.

I quit because I’m indecisive. Because I’m always afraid that I’m doing the wrong thing at the wrong time.

I quit because I get frustrated with myself when I don’t do things perfectly. I quit if I try something and it doesn’t turn out as good as someone else who’s done the same.

I don’t commit to seeing anything through because of fear. Can you relate?

the enemy of growth

I love writing. I love writing on this here blog. I wouldn’t still be hovering around here 8 years after I started if I didn’t love it!

BUT THAT FEAR ‘THO.

Somewhere along the way, I got really big for my britches. I got all these dreams and visions about what my blog could be. I decided I wanted to write more, and then I got all these really grand visions of what I believed I needed that to look like.

And then I froze.

Because suddenly nothing seemed good enough. It wasn’t smart or witty enough. It wasn’t professional enough. I wasn’t going to win any sort of awards for what I was doing on here. And so I stopped.

Maybe Done IS Actually Better Than Perfect

Over the weekend I started reading Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done by John Acuff, only because I was on a long car ride, and the baby wouldn’t stop screaming and I needed to stimulate my adult brain. I had seen the book mentioned around the web and figured why not?

Needless to say I felt like the book was literally written for ME. It truly lit a fire under my butt. If you haven’t read it, you should too.

Here’s something he says in the book that I loved…

“In most goals, it’s not about winning all the time, it’s about winning more than you lose. We’re not aiming for perfection. All you have to do is win more today than yesterday and repeat the whole thing tomorrow.”

Jon Acuff, Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done

The Cure for Perfectionism

Basically at the root, compassion is the cure for perfectionism.

We give ourselves grace and honor ourselves for our effort – even when the results aren’t perfect.

If we take action – we’re growing. And that’s what matters!

Sure, maybe someday I will write articles or blogs for some fabulous publication. But in the meantime, I just need to PUBLISH. I just need to start finishing something. ANYTHING. I need to see something through.

So for the next 7 days, I am going to publish a post here, every day.

Not because I need someone to see it or because I’m hoping something awesome will happen because of it.

I’m doing this because I’m 31 years old, and it’s time to put my big girl undies on and actually start finishing some things.

Do you have anything big or small that you need to finish? Are you ready for the cure to perfectionism, too? Why not pick today and start making progress with me?