Life is a joyride filled with its share of ups and downs, but one thing that prevents countless people from living their lives to the fullest is trying their hardest to appeal to the idea of “perfection.” Subconsciously, people tend to abide and follow the crowd, thinking that if they can work toward a flawless and perfect version of themselves, they’ll be able to get the most out of life. But, nobody’s perfect, so they end up falling from the sky and come crashing down like Icarus.
And so, today, we’d like to touch base on the topic of perfection and how it’s eating away so much of our life. Specifically, we want to emphasize the need to move away from perfection but instead move toward mindfulness and positive transformation. The goal is to break down this self-imposed dogma and set your true inner self free, to bring you back to the path of self-discovery.
Pause And Take A Good Long Look In The Mirror
Before we move forward, take this moment to pause and look at yourself in the mirror. Recall how you’ve been doing the past weeks, months, or years even, and try to gauge your level of life satisfaction. Give yourself the opportunity to reminisce and get away from all the stress of daily life, even for just a minute. Dedicate the time to concentrate and refocus your energy back on yourself.
- Are You Happy?If living the good life is founded on one’s level of happiness, then are you happy where you are right now? Most of the time, our minds get so lost in the thought of responsibilities and obligations that we forget to muster up the strength and ask ourselves, “Am I Happy?” If the answer is yes, then you might not be as affected by the perfectionist trap. But, if the answer is no, there might be areas in your life being dragged down by these standards.
- Do You Feel Fulfillment?Another crucial aspect of a good life is when we are fulfilled. Whether through our career, family, and even relationships, we find meaning and purpose in them. However, perfectionism often leads to the feeling of following a set path that you don’t want, such as a career you don’t like to make ends meet or staying somewhere you don’t enjoy due to circumstances. Nevertheless, one’s life must be spent meaningfully and not trodding away at things that are hollow to them.
As you can tell, constantly chasing after perfection tends to lead us astray and puts us down a never-ending spiral of unneeded stress and anxiety. Therefore, we must utilize the power of mindfulness to set us back on the path of positive transformation.
Breaking Away From Perfection
Although years of unnecessarily high standards may feel impossible to overcome, there’s nothing a person can’t do when they put their heart and mind into it. Sure, there’s no denying that you’ll hit a couple of bumps along the way and might even experience some forms of withdrawal. However, rebuilding your perspective and mindset on life is key to living happy and finding contentment.
#1 Accepting Flaws, Awakening Strengths
Number one, we begin by accepting our flaws and awakening our true strengths. Far too many people focus on the idea of being a generalist or jack-of-all-trades, but, in reality, nobody can juggle everything without a blunder. Cut yourself some slack and accept your weak points because these also makeup your real identity. Instead, take pride in knowing that there are some things you’re good at.
- Reinvigorate Passion: Whether it’s your career or pursuing a master’s degree, you want these decisions and life-changing action to come from self-interest and not what other people decide. Your goal is to reinvigorate passion back into your life, and you can start by plucking out the parts that you don’t find fulfilling.
#2 Embrace Creative Self-Expression
Number two, to give yourself a physical outlet for your emotion and mind to explore, embrace the need for creative self-expression. Some of us feel compelled to give up hobbies and things we used to enjoy out of necessity for time, but these very things that you’re disassociating with are actually keeping you sane. So, find balance and don’t justify unneeded pain and suffering, writing it off as self-sacrifice.
- Fashion & Style: We think that a lot of people downplay the capacity of fashion & styles as a means of creative self-expression. Much like how all forms of art deal with aesthetics, choice of clothing and accessories can help accentuate your best features and bring out different sides of you. So, whether it’s trying on a new oversized hoodie for spring or picking out matching wedding bands for you and your partner, we suggest giving it a chance.
#3 Reflection And Insight
Last but not least, when you start feeling down again or struggle to move forward and invigorate positive transformation into your life, take the time to reflect and gain insight on how far you’ve come. Whether it’s in the realm of health & wellness where you’ve managed to stay consistent with your regular exercise, or maybe in your career where you’re on track for promotion, don’t let your achievements and milestones fall on deaf ears.
Don’t Hold Your Life Back.
Overall, life is meant to be lived to the fullest, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be perfect. So, embrace life’s inherent spontaneity and be happy as it is. Don’t let perfectionist standards hold your life back.
