Letting go of my perfectionist tendencies.
My perfectionism stems from my early years. Society and other socializing agents have directly and indirectly expressed that achievement is equated with success. I started to believe that in order to achieve, I needed to attain perfect marks. I pushed myself to study hard, neglected friendships, relationships with my family members, and became unconcerned about my well-being. When I achieved an exceptional grade, I had a brief moment of satisfaction. This feeling was quickly replaced with “I need to achieve more” and “I can do better!” I am a firm believer in adopting a growth mindset and looking for ways to improve; nonetheless, my relationship with achievement was becoming an unhealthy habit. Undeniably, perfectionism has stayed with me.
I used to think that perfectionism would propel me forward. Now, I am seeing its destructive nature. Perfectionism has wreaked havoc on my physical, mental and emotional bodies. I am tense, I struggle with anxiety, I worry, I engage in negative self-talk, I self-sabotage, and I sometimes feel as if I am not worthy or good enough. This year, I am LETTING GO of my perfectionist tendencies. It is an old story that is not useful to me. I have the power to let go of this old story. It will take A LOT of work!
How will I accomplish this? First, STOP identifying myself as a “perfectionist.” This label is not useful to me. I will demonstrate empathy and kindness towards myself. I can accomplish this by engaging in Metta Meditation, as this will help me cultivate compassion towards myself, others and the world. I will focus on progress, rather than the end result. Yoga can help me accomplish this. Yoga helps me focus on progressing into various postures physically, mentally, intellectually and emotionally. I will redefine failure as being an opportunity to grow and learn. Remember, FAIL = First Attempt In Learning.
My goal starts TODAY! What are your goals for 2020 and beyond?
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