Letting go of perfectionism is something I practice every day. It’s something I need to do now, because I only have fifteen minutes to create this blog this morning!
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What do you think about letting go of perfectionism? Is this blog post good enough?
Perfection nearly paralyzed me. I suffered from paralysis by analysis. Still do somewhat, but I manage through. I hated being yelled at for not doing something exactly the way my father, mother, coaches, or employers wanted. Maybe I was a little hard-headed, but I needed the why.
Then I learned that perfection gets in the way. All the platitudes- Voltaire’s “Don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good”- are right. The accomplishment is the goal. For me, it’s the destination, not the trip. I recently read that it is better to complete the task than be perfect.
Further, a buddy of mine and I were discussing perfection. I pointed to a tree just beyond his yard. Asymmetrical, twisted, but like a good eastern maple tree, sturdy. I said some would look at that tree and say, because it is not tall, straight, and symmetrical, that it is not perfect. But I look at it differently. The tree does all the things the tree is supposed to do, and while it may not be aesthetically pleasing, it performs its natural purpose.
Lastly, how dare you??? Fried chicken is one of my all time favorite foods!! 🙂
That was the first time my husband made fried chicken and it was almost perfect. Just like your comments, Stan!
It’s never been something that I practiced or that bothered me but I know that it is something that is a challenge for many people to let go of
It is!
Nothing helps you outgrow any notions of perfection like growing old. Friends used to be jealous of me because it seemed I could eat whatever I wanted and never gained weight. Then I stopped smoking and got older (about the same time) and it turned out I could gain weight. I also thought it was cool as hell to lift a chopping maul over my head to split firewood. Then my back told me that I couldn’t do that anymore. I used to think I walked gracefully, even up and down stairs. Then I had a leetle accident that played havoc with my balance so now I happily lurch from place to place around the house. So don’t grow too attached to your own perfections. You’ll have to learn to perfect new imperfections as time goes on.
Thanks for you for this perfectly imperfect comment, Barbara.
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