How To Overcome Perfectionism

Text: Philippians 4:8

Be honest, have you ever met a perfectionist who was truly happy? I bet you’ll say no, because when things must always ‘be in a certain way’, life becomes miserable, and this is because life itself is constantly changing.

As they say, ‘the most constant thing in life is change’ and as a result, you shouldn’t expect something to always be or be done in a particular way at all times. For example, as soon as you solve one problem, another comes along. Instead on dwelling on their blessings and being grateful for what has been achieved, perfectionists focus on what’s wrong and why they need to fix it.

It may be a job they did that was less than perfect, a few pounds they need to lose, or even a disorganized wardrobe. Or it could be someone else’s imperfections: the way they live their life, how they behave, the way they look, or how they talk and walk, and so on. Perfectionists are never satisfied.

The truth is, constantly dwelling on flaws – your own or someone else’s – makes it impossible to be grateful. And gratitude is at the core of happiness. For clarity’s sake, we are not talking about striving to be better. Not being complacent, wanting to see how things can change from bad to good and to see how things can be done better is a good thing. But we are talking about obsessing over what’s wrong.

There’ll always be a better way to do something, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy life the way it is right now. So what’s the cure for perfectionism? It starts with the realization that nothing is ever perfect. And though we may strive for things to be done appropriately, we mustn’t ignore the fact that even the best of us makes mistakes.

As such, you must catch yourself before you fall into the trap of insisting that things must always be done differently (perfectly) from how they are. Stop and remind yourself that, in the absence of your judgment, everything will work out just fine.

Apostle Paul says, ‘…in all things God works for the good of those who love him…’ (Romans 8:28). Did you get the message? Apostle Paul was simply saying God is in control; and it is okay for you to let go.

Instead of focusing on the negative, ‘think about the things that are good and worthy of praise’. For every feat achieved in whatever you do, be grateful. Though it may not be the best you had expected, things can only get better with a heart open to change, to learn and open to seeing the brighter side of things.

Choose to only see the positives in everything around you, and when you do, you will begin to discover how wonderful life is.

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