Perfectionism

For pretty much all of my life I felt the pressure and the need to be good at EVERYTHING. Nothing was ever good enough. I always wanted more. This toxic cycle definitely did more harm than good. It developed an ego in me that needed to be fed and for a while, I just kept feeding it. I wasn’t humble enough to do anything that I knew I might not be good at. I would never try anything if it wasn’t perfect. And if I did try I would rather quit than admit that I wasn’t automatically good at it. It held me back from going after what I wanted in life because if it wasn’t perfect I couldn’t do it.

For so long I procrastinated starting because I wanted to be perfect. Or at least better. But how was I ever supposed to get better if I was always too scared to fail that I never tried? How was I supposed to learn from doing NOTHING? One day, I sat down and thought to myself, what am I waiting for? I probably heard it from some inspirational podcast about perfectionism and how it is keeping me from following my dreams, blah blah blah. But I realized it was true. So I started putting myself out there, opening myself up to the possibility of failure and judgment which was so scary, but so so worth it.

Perfectionism in Daily Life

Oftentimes times my perfectionism delays projects that need to be done or content that I want to put out. I will stare at the smallest detail for unnecessary amounts of time until I think it’s “perfect”. This is helpful in some cases because I care about the little things, but sometimes it can get out of hand. A saying that I try to focus on in these circumstances is that sometimes done is better than perfect. Nothing is going to be perfect at first, or really ever. The idea of perfection is so far-fetched and unnattainable. Who defines what “perfect” is anyway?

Putting Down Your Ego

Something else I think it is important to note is that everyone starts somewhere. It is okay to ask for help. When you think about it, anyone you look up to in your desired field had to start somewhere. Just because their journey looks different than yours doesn’t mean that you are any less deserving or capable of achieving your goals. Additionally, they aren’t going to look down on you for asking for help or advice. I know it seems intimidating but going to someone who has more experience than you is one of the best ways to learn and grow. More likely than not they are going to look back and remember what it was like to be in your position and be happy to help you in whatever way that they can.

This is something I am currently going through. With all of the new things I am starting and internships that I am currently a part of, I have been feeling insecure about my talents and skills. Being surrounded by people who have been in the creative field longer than I have is super intimidating! It is definitely so much more tempting to fall into comparison when you see how far ahead other people are, and how “perfect” their work seems. That is when I need to remind myself that I am on my own path and my own timeline. God has a plan for my life, and for my talents, and that is specific to me. Who am I to question that?

Moral of the Story

Changing your perspective is essential. No one is perfect. Be open to criticism, be open to failure. This leaves you open to GROWTH.

If you waste your whole life waiting for something to be perfect, you can watch as your dreams drift away. And someone who isn’t afraid to fail, someone who is humble enough to admit that they aren’t perfect, someone who lets down their ego and tries despite the possibility of failure. That person will achieve YOUR dreams.

So this is a reminder to you (and me) to continue to let down the walls of your perfectionism before you let it rob you of the life you dream of living 🙂

-xoxo, jenny <3