Have you ever felt like you were making a positive, healthier switch with something in life? Maybe changing your diet, working out, creating a morning routine, or switching to clean, non-toxic living. As you begin, you realize you are taking it to the next level, and not the good kind. So how do you ditch perfectionism?
First, are you being a perfectionist?
You want to make sure you are doing everything, just right. Who deems what’s right and what’s not?
All of a sudden, this is bad, no this is good. Wait, you need to avoid this, oh wait no its ok. You research and research until your shoulders feel heavy, and your neck hurts; you even feel nauseous, and like your head could explode.
Ahh…
You have reached the ledge of perfectionism.
So what the heck do you do when you’re on the perfectionism ledge?
I was just up there, my friend. I try my best to learn what ingredients are harmful and should be avoided in our beauty products, but there is so much contradicting information out there.
I mean, I search many sources and then sometimes fall down the rabbit hole.
No one ever wants to go down the rabbit hole.
I have been spending HOURS searching for the perfect product line to carry in the salon. (Notice how I said the perfect? Do you see where this is going?) HOURS!
I found one ingredient that continues to pop up, and I notice all of the other clean, non-toxic sites and enthusiasts were ok with it. Which got me thinking, is it ok? Why does no one else seem red flagged?
Now I’m not going to pretend to know everything. I do my best to learn and research to stay up to date and to report the most accurate information on clean beauty and harmful ingredients.
So you know what you do? You get off the ledge. It can be that simple.
Take a step back and look at how you got there. Write down what it is that is causing you so much stress and read it out loud. Where can you scale back? If you had a friend who was feeling the same way and heard their list, what would you say to her?
Treat yourself and talk to yourself as a friend. We are way harder on ourselves than others.
When you make changes in life, you need to allow grace. Make that your mantra, “I live with grace.”
Don’t let the fear of perfectionism hold you back.
I have a fear that someone will be mad at me or call me out on my choices. You know what? That’s ok!
It’s those fears that hold us back and make it difficult to move forward and make changes. How many times have you wanted to do something but felt afraid or like you were going to be judged, so you didn’t do it?
You end up regretting it. You miss out on so much when you live out of fear.
When you start something new, there will be mistakes, lessons, but never a failure.
I once was told some incredible advice, “You have to be ok to offend people and be ok being offended.”
How do we grow if we can’t learn from others?
We need to learn to be ok, not being “it” for everyone. We need to be ok with doing the best we can and feeling confident with who we are.
You may also like:
–4 Ways to stay positive during stressful times
–Are you holding yourself back?
–What is clean beauty and why it’s important to you
Ditch perfectionism with living.
Remember, in life and all situations, this is your journey. It’s ok if your journey doesn’t look the same as everyone else’s.
It’s yours, not theirs.
It’s ok if people disagree with you.
I will always share with you the best of my knowledge and give you options. As will most coaches.
4 Steps to take to ditch the perfectionism.
1. When you are making changes on anything, always remember your WHY. Why did you start? Write that down and bring it out when you need a reminder. You can set an alarm on your phone to go off every day at a certain. Change the label to be your why statement. Stay focused on your goal.
Do you want to be healthier?
Do you want to be more energetic?
Do you want to start your day focusing on yourself?
Do you want to help the environment?
Do you want to save the animals?
2. Next up, you want to have an accountability partner or a support partner. There will be times when you hit a crossroad or pure frustration, and it’s nice to have someone that can support you along the way.
I shared with my sister how I was feeling overwhelmed with the research and the contradictions and the fear of delivering inaccurate information, and she shared with me the most helpful tip ever!
“Risk Reduction vs. Risk Elimination”
After hearing that, I felt a sense of ease. This goes with what I always say, “Every small change makes a tremendous impact.”
3. Thirdly, journaling can be very helpful. It’s a great place to vent or write out your goals. You can even use it as a daily check-in. Or a place to write out your plan of actions and to check in as accountability.
I write in mine as gratitude for the progress I have been making and what I want to come. I will also use this as a place to vent when things seem misplaced and not going as I had expected. This is a great way to reflect on what you have been doing. You can reflect on what is working and what needs adjustment.
You can also use your journal as a visual. People like to use visualization to see themself reaching their goal. That can be very motivating.
Remember, there is no room for the pressure of perfection.
4. My last step, which is one that I do every day, is meditation. My meditation practice helps keep me calm and sane. I will practice meditation at any time throughout the day. Sometimes I need it in the morning, and it’s a great way to start your day. Start your day taking the time for yourself, centering yourself, and holding a sacred space of grace for yourself.
If meditation is new to you or you are looking for different forms of meditation, you can download some apps, Headspace, Calm, and Insight Timer.
So get out there, make your decision, plan your action, and do it!! Do it the way that you want to do it and do it the way that feels best.
Like I said before, I am here to teach you what I can. Download my list of harmful ingredients to avoid and check your labels.
