Ugly Perfectionism
“I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence I can reach for; perfection is God’s business.” ~Michael J. Fox, Actor
Perfectionism can be really ugly. Trust me. I have to keep the monster of perfectionism in check or she will eat me alive. Limiting my daily media intake helps and yet, I often find myself procrastinating on all kinds of tasks. There's a pattern I have noticed. If tasks are new, uncertain or just plain feel big, I have a tendency to avoid getting down to work.
My ugly perfectionism can make everything seem overwhelming and a big deal. Throughout the month of February I have been trying to get stuff done, clear open loops and in general, be more productive. Stuff is getting done. And, there are a few work and personal projects that just keep getting pushed back. Does this happen to you?
On a side note, I love winter; however, when looking back at my journals from February of recent years, I see a pattern there too. February finds me struggling just a bit to be the best version of myself. February is when perfectionism starts to kick in and hold me back. It's like driving down the highway with one foot on the gas and one foot on the brake.
By the time you read this, it will be March already. It will still be winter here in Michigan. Being always hopeful, I know those days when the sunshine streams through the window will get me motivated again. Until then, I need to put that perfectionism monster in her place and keep going.
Here's a little secret of mine: When I am doing mind numbing chores about my home, I like to watch a little YouTube. Mostly organizing and cleaning videos, mixed with a bit of cooking and travel, even though I am not much of a cook and sometimes I wonder if I like the idea of travel more than the travel itself. I have been watching and enjoying the transformation of Sophia, from the YouTube channel My Great Challenge.
Sophia's great challenge is home management, something that I think I am pretty good at. Since I first stumbled upon one of her cleaning videos, Sophia has gotten really good at home management. She is a true powerhouse. Sophia can get more done in a weekend than I might do in a month (okay, a year). This got me wondering what makes her different from me?
I think it comes down to perfectionism. In her videos Sophia seems to just roll up her sleeves, get the job done and not worry too much about things being perfect. When we let the perfectionism go, everything becomes a lot easier. I am clearly still working on the letting go part. When I master that, I envision a life with more peace, ease and joy. It's starting to happen. When I follow Sophia's lead, I find that all my scary tasks aren't so bad after all.
As we transition toward spring, let's all give ourselves a lot of grace and get ourselves moving. Politely tell your perfectionist monster to be quiet while you are getting it done. And come back to let me know how it feels to be just a bit more productive. Are you more organized? Do you feel more peace, ease and joy? I would love to hear from you!
All my best,
Carolyn
