The Illusion of Perfection | My Perfect Enemy
I Am No More Striving for Flawlessness!
She lives out of the country. It was a festive day and I asked her for her picture. I received a photo of a different girl (big eyes, changed skin tone, sharp nose, plump lips, and a pointed chin with an artistic jawline)!
I asked why you guys are obsessed with these filters changing your God Gifted beauty. Why don't you send the unfiltered one with whom I can resonate and dive into our memories?
“Baby insecurities na”
I said, “It's your personal choice but it shouldn't be!”
I appreciate how Alessa Cara demotivated these pesky fears of imperfections,
There’s a hope that’s waiting for you in the dark
You should know you’re beautiful just the way you are
No scars to your beautiful, we’re stars and we’re beautiful!
Honestly, I am sick of these fears of imperfections. I barely see people who feel satisfied with their natural appearances, who feel happy with what they have, who feel more secure with their flaws, who feel proud of being human!
I was maybe the same until I came to know,
Perfection is mere an illusion!
Let’s know the reality!
What if your unrealistic ideal of perfection is impeding your emotional and personal development? I am gonna examine the hidden dangers of perfectionism in this post and provide helpful advice on how to avoid them. We’ll explore the reasons why perfection is a myth and how it
Signs that Indicate You Are Chasing Perfectionism
The idea of “perfection” is often exalted in today’s culture. We are continuously told by social media, ads, and even our inner voices that we need to be flawless to have the ideal body, career, and romantic partner. When you access social media, you are greeted with a plethora of applications, monitors, and efficiency hacks to help you organize your life and make better use of your routines. They encourage you to do better inertly. The same thing happens at work, where increasing productivity and aiming for excellence are constant requests.
Here are some indicators to help you acknowledge your level of perfectionism:
Overthinking: Constantly analyzing choices and behaviors and worrying about the perfect decision.
Procrastination: Putting work on delay due to fear of perfection.
High-Stress Levels: Feeling stressed out about the potential for mistakes or falling short of expectations.
Never Satisfied: Despite reaching their objectives, the person believes they might have done better and is dissatisfied with the outcome.
Critical of Others: Having high expectations for both themselves and the people around them, strains relationships and causes disappointment.
Avoidance of New Experiences: Refusing to take on new possibilities or difficulties because you are afraid you won’t be able to do them flawlessly.
Insecurity & Comparison: the inability to measure up to others and the constant sense of inferiority when someone else seems more “perfect.”
Excessive Task Time: Devoting an excessive amount of time to make tasks flawless.
Being Defensive: Reacting negatively to feedback and hindering to make improvements.
Everything or nothing: Seeing things in binary terms and considering anything less than ideal to be a failure.
Body Symptoms: Feeling the constant pressure to be flawless, resulting in bodily symptoms of stress such as headaches, stomach problems, or insomnia.
Low Self-Esteem: In spite of accomplishments, the person frequently feels worthless or insufficient since they haven’t lived up to their ideal of perfection.
Do you own these symptoms? Think twice and note to fix the issue!
Why is Perfection Mere an Illusion?
Aiming for perfection is akin to following a vanishing mirage. It’s an illusion, a creation of our minds driven by both fears on the part of the individual and expectations from society. A lifetime of stress and disappointment is what comes from striving for perfection because you’re always pursuing an impossibly high standard.
Vince Lombardi said,
“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence,”
In actuality, it’s completely acceptable that no one is flawless. Being perfect is not the goal of life rather it’s a perfect life illusion. So, what is perfection in life?
In my dictionary being perfect is all about learning, growing, and wanting to be the best version of yourself. Aiming for excellence instead of perfection allows you to grow, learn from your mistakes, and make mistakes. Additionally, you give yourself the emotional room you need to celebrate your successes rather than living in continual self-doubt over falling short of some unattainable ideal of perfection.
Is Perfection a Dangerous Illusion?
You might be thinking, is perfection dangerous? Yes!
Why is perfection dangerous? Here we go!
It might be harmful to give in to the illusion of perfection since it sets us up for failure. You are putting yourself in danger if you think that perfection is achievable. You will always be disappointed in ourselves since we will never be able to accomplish that impossible feat.
It’s harmful as well since it encourages bad habits. Perfectionism has been linked to anxiety and depression, as I have already discussed. Additionally, it may result in perfectionistic actions like purging, binge eating, excessive exercise, and more.
How to Break the Illusion of Perfection
Here are some proven actionable steps that can help you from being trapped in the illusion of perfection:
- Set realistic goals
- focus on self-love
- Discover your uniqueness
- Focus on the progress not only the outcomes
- Prioritize your tasks
- Take criticism positively
- Set a time for everything
- Accept mistakes
- Feel free to try new things
- Avoid all-or-nothing approach
- Don’t compare yourself
- Set boundaries
- Practice gratitude
- Journaling your thoughts
Wrapping Up
Nobody has a flawless life. Everybody faces different difficulties and obstacles. The secret is to avoid dwelling on the bad things in your life and instead concentrate on the good. It’s also critical to keep in mind that perfectionism is just an illusion. It’s something that can never be attained and accomplished. Thus, if you’re not flawless, don’t be hard on yourself. Just try to balance yourself and be the greatest version of yourself. Have a good day!
