Thursday Thoughts: Embracing Imperfection

My mantra these days has been to embrace imperfection.

I came to the realization that trying to be perfect has held me back and given me a misguided Cinderella-esque perspective on what life is supposed to be like.

And as I have gotten older I recognized that life is not all easy breezy workouts, seamless career promotions and tearless relationships. It actually involves the unspeakable: working hard. But since this realization I have started to place value on different things and look deep inside of myself to adjust my thoughts on what failure is, what counts as a success and basically redefine the word perfect.

Here is what I mean: I cannot do it all, be everywhere and still live to talk about it.

It is an accomplishment to make it to the gym 3 days a week instead of the highly sought after 5 days. If I make a dent in my work to-do list I should pat myself on the back. And if I can make it through my busy days and still prepare a home cooked meal it is a real win. The small things, you see, are so much more important to me than they used to be in my idea of a “perfect” day.

Want to embrace imperfection too? Here are some tips:

1. Figure Out Where your Idea of Perfection Comes From

Is it society? Or your parents? Is it an idea of perfection or is it envy? Having a heart-to-heart with yourself to figure out what the root of your perfection perspective stems from will make a huge difference. In some cases you can conquer your mental stress of the situation by addressing your issues with the person that advocates for your “perfect” life or stop surrounding yourself with images that do more harm than good. Or write your feelings down so you can get at the root of things.

2. Abandon the “Perfect”

Once you let go of striving for an idea of perfect you will be free. Living your life perfectly imperfect will help you live stress free and work the best you can. Create your own rules on what perfection means to you. Write it down and share your new definition with others until it is ingrained in your mind.

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3. View your Weaknesses as Strengths

Certain weaknesses can actually be strengths. I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out. I used to live a life of structure and organization. Many may see this as a strength, but I was missing out on spontaneous moments—runs in the park that weren’t scheduled, late nights with friends because I had to be to bed by 10 on the dot. You get what I mean? Once I let this rigid life go (as much as my type-A personality would let me) I started to enjoy more experiences on a whim and I truly feel like this has changed me. Remember my power word? Take note of your weaknesses and see how you can convert them into strengths. Us health nuts love being STRONG.

Deep breaths everyone…we will embrace imperfection together.

What do you think of the idea of embracing your imperfections? Tell us one way you are abandoning being perfect below. 

photo credit: enggul via photopin cc