Do you put pressure on yourself for things to be perfect… all of the time?
… most of the time? … some of the time? Do you think things have to be ‘perfect’ for you to be in alignment (in whatever way alignment brings you the most ease, flow and joy)? Because I did, for years… until I realised that perfection isn’t possible, no matter how aligned you are.I write more about this in my new book, Aligned & Unstoppable.
Here’s an excerpt:
Thinking that alignment means perfection is just another way we put pressure on ourselves to be perfect, and berate ourselves if things don’t go to our exact plan. This is how I used to feel (and sometimes still need to remind myself about.). Good things can still flow to you, even if or when you’re not feeling completely aligned. What might this look like in your everyday life? You might get a parking ticket, on the day a new client signs up to work with you. Your website might crash, just before an email arrives with an opportunity you never saw coming. Someone might say ‘no’ to you, and the next day the most incredible ‘yes!’ comes through unexpectedly. You might be feeling stressed out about money, telling yourself that the only way you’ll make money is if you feel abundant, when a payment notification lands in your inbox. You might have a huge fight with a loved one, just before running the best workshop of your career. How is all of this possible, you ask? You might be thinking to yourself: The only way for me to succeed is for things to run smoothly, all the time, and for me to always feel aligned and unstoppable. But that’s simply not the case, and to tell yourself that puts limits on what you’re actually capable of. You can have a bad day and still run a top seminar. You can feel tired from being up all night with a sick toddler, then run a meeting that leaves everyone feeling inspired and empowered. You can feel run-down and uninspired, only for an incredible idea to drop into your mind and heart which turns everything around in an instant. You can be in alignment when your life isn’t perfect. You know why? Because perfection isn’t possible anyway, no matter how aligned you are. Your emotions, mood, energy and desires will fluctuate, shift, change, adapt and evolve. Honouring this truth will allow you to use your life experiences—the positive and the seemingly negative—to create and enhance your ideal life and work. You are so much more capable than you know. Thinking you’re only capable when you’re perfect does a huge disservice to yourself and those you’re here to support the most. So, I want you to think about how you can take the pressure off how you work towards your dreams, to allow yourself to flick the switch on your potentially perfectionistic mindset. You know why?- Because alignment doesn’t mean perfection.
- Because perfectionism is just fear with her prettiest clothes on.
- Because good enough is perfect.
- Because when you try to be perfect, you hide from the people who need you most.
- Because you don’t need to be perfect to receive, or serve, or show up, or build something beautiful.
- Because taking imperfect action is better than taking perfect inaction (aka standing still and doing nothing).
