Stop Trying To Be Perfect And Do What You Want

[00:00:00] We know that striving for excellence can be a good thing. Sometimes that drive to be flawless can also hold us back. It can keep us in analysis paralysis. Have you ever had that? That belief that anything less than flawless is unacceptable.

[00:00:16] Today we're tackling a topic that might feel a little familiar to you. Perfectionists often see things it absolutes. The inner critic that we all have, that voice inside of our heads for perfectionists, is a relentless critic. It magnifies every flaw and focuses on what's wrong with us.

[00:00:35] Handling motivation and creativity, the whole overthinking thing that we do. Afraid to take risks or even start a new project because you might not feel perfect enough. I'm going to get personal for a minute and share a specific example from my own life

[00:00:50] where I'm overcoming my perfectionism right now. Perfectionism doing this YouTube channel is very real and every recording I do, I am so hard on myself. I just think it's terrible. I kept getting stuck. The script wasn't perfect. The editing is terrible.

[00:01:05] Even the thumbnails felt like it wasn't good enough and even still feels that way. Perfectionism was keeping me paralyzed from even starting and afraid to put anything out there because it might not be well received. There is a lot of fear there.

[00:01:20] And then I started realizing something important that my channel isn't about creating flawless videos, although I would love to be at a much higher level than I am. Maybe I will as I continue growing. But it's really about connecting with you and sharing our journeys together

[00:01:36] and hopefully helping each other along the way. So I embrace the imperfect action approach. I wrote the best scripts I could at the time, editing to a decent level, certainly not where I'd like to be, and then hit publish. And guess what? The world didn't end.

[00:01:52] In fact, I did receive some positive feedback. And more importantly, I start to connect with viewers who are facing similar challenges. And for me, that's the whole reason I'm doing this. That's the whole point. This experience though has taught me valuable lessons of progress over perfection.

[00:02:09] The most important thing is to take that first step. Put yourself out there on something that you are really afraid of, that process if perfectionism is holding you back like it was for me. And you know what? The more videos I create, some days are better than others.

[00:02:23] And I still continue to put it out there anyway, because it's a journey of continuous learning and growth. It's more fulfilling than even, you know, striving for some unattainable ideal of perfectionism. So experiment with pulling yourself through perfectionism, whatever it is.

[00:02:40] And who knows, it might turn out to be absolutely amazing. That first step in overcoming perfectionism is to shift your focus from achieving immediate flawlessness to embracing the journey of progress. This means celebrating small wins instead of dwelling on what's not perfect,

[00:02:57] giving yourself a pat on the back. Every completed task, every new skill that's learned is a victory. Mistakes are inevitable and perfectionists often see them as failures. Don't set yourself up for disappointment with unrealistic expectations to begin with. Break down large goals into smaller steps.

[00:03:15] We all kind of know that, but for perfectionists, it's really important. Done is better than perfect. That mentality is good because if you try not to wait until everything is perfect before you take action, you're going to get a lot more done in the end.

[00:03:29] Even if it's not your best work, you can always refine it later and you're going to continue to improve. Instead of obsessing on every little detail, focus on delivering value and authenticity in your work. What can you offer that is unique and meaningful?

[00:03:45] Perfectionists often engage in harsh self-criticism. You know this one? Boy, I sure do. Here's how to cultivate self-compassion. Treat yourself with kindness. Talk to yourself the way you would talk to a friend. Offer encouragement and understanding instead of harsh judgment.

[00:04:03] Practice mindfulness because mindfulness exercises can really help you become more aware of your negative self-talk. When you challenge those patterns with self-compassionate thoughts, do you recognize your strengths and talents? What are you good at?

[00:04:19] Focus on those strengths and do something to boost that confidence and motivation to keep going. What about dusting off those old art supplies, setting a timer for 30 minutes, and creating something, anything without judgment, focusing on the joy of expression, not the final product?

[00:04:37] How about the skill that you've always wanted to learn? How to play guitar, how to play piano, speak a new language. Sign up for a beginner's class. Celebrate the progress of not being good. You're at the beginning.

[00:04:49] I encourage people to learn musical instruments, which is one of my things because it humbles you and you're forced to take a small step at a time, especially as an adult. And even for men, there might be a whole improvement project you shelved.

[00:05:01] You want it to be perfect so you put it off. Don't worry about it being perfect. Focus on functionality and learning. The goal is living life and doing things and trying things. The key is to identify something you've been putting off due to perfectionism

[00:05:16] and finally take that imperfect action toward making it happen. Do what I'm doing, plowing through fears to do YouTube and my podcast. This is not as easy as it actually looks, at least not for me.

[00:05:29] So by letting go of perfectionism, you open yourself up to a world of possibilities. The beauty lies in the journey, not the destination. So take a deep breath, embrace your imperfections and start taking action toward your goals. If you struggle with perfectionism, just know you're not alone.

[00:05:45] If you'd like to leave a comment and share what you have perfectionism about, we can get a dialogue going. I'd love to hear from you. What areas of your life do you find yourself getting stuck?

[00:05:54] If you like my content, be sure to subscribe for more self-improvement content coming your way. Until next time, happy manifesting, my friend. Thanks for watching!