The Art of Letting Go: How to Overcome Perfectionism and Embrace Imperfections
A part of what makes us human are our flaws, and our mistakes are a part of our life’s journey.
If perfectionism is something you’ve been dealing with, then you’re probably overworking yourself to reach unrealistic goals, or maybe you procrastinate because the need to get the job done perfectly overwhelms and paralyzes you. Perfectionism can make its way into many areas of our lives, so in this article I want to focus on practical steps you can take to overcome your perfectionism and all the ways you can benefit from letting go.
Benefits of Letting Go
This act is about letting go of that desire to be perfect, to do things perfectly and to be seen as ‘perfect,’ ‘successful,’ or ‘capable.’ While you may be afraid to let go of that need to do things perfectly, I want you to consider how much freedom there is in letting go. Letting go gives you the freedom to do new things, to be open to new things, which also includes a new version of yourself that can be born and grow. Letting go gives you the opportunity to be a new version of yourself you haven’t met yet.
Letting go can also offer you peace of mind. By letting go, you’re releasing all that tension, frustration and anxiety to perform and achieve perfection. It allows you to be true to who you are and can offer you an incredible amount of acceptance of what you're capable of right now and what you have achieved so far.
What Does it Mean: The Art of Letting Go?
Letting go is about a consistent choice to let go. It’s not a one time thing that you can just check off your list and move on. Letting go of your perfectionism is an ongoing journey and it gives you the opportunity to do something new, to do something different and maybe to do something uncomfortable.
Maybe you’re used to trying to control the outcome of all situations and you’re going to start practicing the art of letting go of that control. There is so much that you can discover about yourself, about others and about the situation itself when you let go and allow things to unfold in a natural flow.
How Do I Practice The Art of Letting Go in Terms of Perfectionism?
In the case of perfectionism, you are letting go of the need to constantly improve your shortcomings. When you slowly begin to accept your shortcomings, and let go of the shame that may surround your ‘flaws,’ then you learn to actually embrace your strengths.
For example, perhaps you’re focused on your inability to complete tasks rather than your drive and passion for trying new things. Or maybe you are focused on your mistakes and forget you're committed to growth and all the ways you’ve developed from your mistakes.
By turning your focus away from your weaknesses and towards your strength you can finally allow yourself to see how you are enough, just as you are. So to get you started, write down one flaw or mistake you are going to let go of and one strength you are going to focus on, and see where that takes you.
More Blog Post’s you’ll enjoy
The Healing Power of Self-Love
The Beauty in our Imperfections
Relatable Podcast Episodes you’ll Enjoy from: It Didn’t Break Me Podcast
"Embracing the And" with Faith Broussard Cade
Closing the Browser on Anxiety with Marley Freygang
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