“Perfectionism is a Lie”
“Don’t let the perfect become the enemy of the good.”
These are two of my favorite lines, almost like mantras, that I use to help combat that relentless drive toward perfectionism.
Those of you suffer from perfectionism will be familiar with these symptoms:
- Never feeling good enough…
- Never being able to feel like a project is complete so that you can set it down and let it go…
- Lying awake at night worrying about the one tiny detail you forgot in that report, or an email, or a project…
- Ruminating and obsessing about getting it everything right, even when you’re with family or friends outside of work…
- A constant fear and anxiety that the one little detail that you missed is going to show up, ruin your life, and you’ll be exposed as a total failure in front of the entire world…Living in a van down by the river (for Chris Farley fans)
- The list could go on and on…
“Should” is one of the most violent words in the English language’ should almost always leads to “Shame.”
Shame and Perfectionism are two polarities that are actually intimately connected. Think about it. Perfectionism shows up as that voice in your head telling you that you’re not doing it right, or not good enough. But it’s more than that; it’s not just that what you’re doing isn’t good enough, it’s that YOU aren’t good enough.
The direct outcome of that kind of belief and self-talk is Shame.
SHAME – Should Have Already Mastered Everything
If you suffer from Perfectionism, as I do and as many driven, high-achieving leaders do, then this constant feeling of needing to improve and fix everything is both an asset and it can lead to stress, anxiety, overwhelm, and burnout.
It’s an asset because you probably strive to do everything well, and that means you consistently pursue excellence, and you likely deliver high quality products or services to your clients or customers.
But if you don’t know how to turn off that inner critical voice, it can just as easily undercut your success by wearing you out physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
That’s why Perfectionism and Shame are two opposite poles on a spectrum. Both are lies. There is no such thing as perfect – it’s just an impossible standard we hold ourselves to.
And there is no such thing as an entirely Shameful person – it’s just how we feel when we don’t measure up to the “perfect” impossible standards we have for ourselves.
But goodness, and even excellence, lie in the middle of that spectrum between perfectionism and shame. The truth is that good, even really good, and even excellent are always possibilities – they are real. They are the true value that you have to offer.
Centering for Wisdom helps you to stay out of the lies of Perfectionism and Shame, and in the Truth and Reality of what good things are really possible.
To know what is the best possible service or product you can offer, and to pursue that with healthy balance, is where your success and your power lies.
The added value and beauty of Centering for Wisdom is that not only do you learn what goodness you have to offer to the world, but you also touch into a deeper, inner core of goodness and you can live from that space of inner freedom, joy, and flow.
That inner core of goodness is inside of you, it’s inside of everyone. It was placed there by God, or however you view your Creative Source.
Perfectionism is like telling God that you can do it better than She can. But the way to pursue excellence as a leader is to allow the creative energies and goodness that God placed in you to come to fruition – using your tools, knowledge, skills, and wisdom; while surrendering the outcomes to the higher, divine wisdom that always desires the best for you, for your business, for your family, and for the common good of your community.
Remember, this inner core of goodness and creativity is inside of every single person. So, if you want to see how I help leaders center in so they can access that divine wisdom, and live each and every day as aligned as humanly possible (which nobody does perfectly!), then I’ve got two things to share with you!
First, you can book a free Breakthrough Session with me right now by clicking the link – Apply – Thomas J. Bushlack
Or, if you’d like to see more about how I get these results for clients, then watch my free Masterclass – Joinnow.Live Webinars
Either option is going to be a 45-minute gift to yourself to let go of the lie of Perfectionism and Shame, and move toward your inner core of goodness and wisdom.
But you won’t experience the transformation unless you take action – not when the time is perfect (there will never be a perfect time!), but right now!
So, go ahead and click one of those links, and let’s get you back to center, sharing your divine goodness with the world as you were created to do!