Perfect ? No thank you !

Releasing the need for perfection

What would happen if we release the need to be perfect in our lives ? Would it have more peace ? More happiness ? More Gratitude ? More Appreciation ? Less Pressure ? Less Judgement ?

Possibly !

If we didn’t need to strive for “perfection” — that elusive standard, we may be doing ourselves a big favour.

But, then you might ask, how does one improve in life ? Without the need for “perfection” would we not become complacent ? Stagnant ?

Possibly !

So, the answer seems to lie yet again in that elusive Sweet Spot.

A spot where you operate in the Here and Now and progress is just “one notch” above what you are currently dealing with in reality. By being anchored in the present, you can be content and appreciative about what you have and what you are currently achieving and by improving by “one notch” more, you keep the juices of “improvement” flowing in a far more realistic way. The benchmark thus, becomes doing one notch better than what you already have and not aim for some “elusive” target which will most probably never keep you satisfied.

Here’s a take on the danger of striving for “perfection” by Alberto Villoldo from “Courageous Dreaming”

“We don’t need any more mythological heroes. There’s nothing more paralyzing than the notion of perfection — we feel that we can never attain it, so why bother to even try? No, what we need is to be honest about what it means to be human: that we are fated to miss the mark of perfection but achieve small and impressive acts of courage and greatness. Instead of thinking that some people are flawless, we ought to take inspiration from the fact that our heroes, celebrated or not, brought themselves back on course again and again whenever they realized that their behavior was out of alignment with their intent. Simply saying, “Enough — I’m moving on!” is an act of courage that breaks the spell.

If you aim to be perfect, you’ll feel disheartened and slip back into the nightmare… Release your need to be perfect and above reproach. It’s not going to happen.”

— Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D. from Courageous Dreaming