Is perfection keeping you from living your life?
Have you ever declared you were eliminating brownies from your life or never missing a 5:00 am workout, then one bite of a ooey, gooey, chocolaty brownie or one five-more-minute morning derailed your plans and it snowballed into sidelining them all together? No? Just me?
The reality is life exists in a gray place. Shades of gray, rather than black and white. Life is not all or nothing. You do not win a trophy for hitting the gym seven days a week, nor are you penalized for working out three times. You are not scolded for missing a yoga sesh or eating only half your salad. Wellness is not about being 100% a 100% of the time.
But it is about being your best – however you define it.
So why not embrace an imperfect mindset. Integrate habits into your life in a way that they do not consume your every waking hour. If you are fixating on every piece of food you put in your mouth or analyzing every dance move in a workout class then start thinking about shifting to an imperfect mindset. Start integrating realistic habits into daily life, instead of having them engulf your whole life.
So you had an opportunity to eat a salad for lunch, but instead opted for the deep-dish peperoni pizza. Okay so what? It served a purpose. It fulfilled one of your needs. It gave life to one of your desires. Guess what, it’s not the end of the world. All bets are not off. Pep pizza is a part of your life. Move on and focus on something else.
It is acceptable to not be perfect or strive for perfection 24/7. Doing things that are fulfilling is good for one’s health. Doing things that nurture your soul and your spirit have a place in your life and wellbeing.
That is not to say that taking an imperfect mindset equates to living haphazardly and mindlessly. It does not mean your diet is solely chocolate bars and vanilla milkshakes day in and day out; or marathon movie nights fulfill every waking hour. What it means is that you live a genuine, true-to-yourself life that fulfills all aspects of your health.
Balance is the key word. How much is too much? How many donuts/cookies/chips is overkill? How many missed meditations is counterintuitive? Is it better to sit on the couch instead of going for a walk after dinner? Is it beneficial to skip a family get-together because it is stressful? Will it be okay to miss a day of work in order to decompress?
Well my friends, the answer to those questions lies within. There is no right answer. No magic formula. How far on the gray-o-meter you take something is up to you. Being imperfect depends on you and you alone. You do not need an expert telling you how to be imperfect, just know that staying in that gray area—that area where anything is possible is where life is lived. Realistically.
This came to me when I just needed it! I’ve been recently struggling with maintaining the “perfect” work schedule, trying to balance multiple projects at once to a point of exhaustion. I’m learning to let go a little and be kinder to myself. Love the msg of “no right answer”. That’s something we should all remember!
I’m glad it is beneficial! I can almost guarantee that you are not alone in trying to find perfection. Most of us struggle with that. Finding the power to be okay with being okay can be a struggle sometimes.