A theme that has been coming up this week in several of my one-on-one client coaching sessions is the idea of perfection. As women entrepreneurs, or really just women in general, we often put these tremendous expectations on ourselves and no matter how much we accomplish we always feel like we fall short.
“I had a $10,000 week in my business, but I missed a date with a guy that had potential.”
“I spent time with my family and did some self-care, but I sent out my regular blog a day late.”
“I feel like I’m a good businesswoman but not always the best wife because I only make dinner for my husband every couple of weeks, and we don’t have sex all that often.”
“I have an amazing business idea and concept, but I know I’ll fail because I have no idea how to implement it.”
No matter how much we accomplish we always carry the weight of perfection on our shoulders, and trust me, its heavy. We stack brick after brick for every time we perceive we fall short of perfection and then we carry that weight around with us, constantly adding and never subtracting. Until one day we start to crack under the pressure of all our imperfection. Then we are left with two choices. Lose the weight of perfection or lose ourselves. We either start being perfectly ourselves, or keep trying to meet an unachievable ideal and completely detach from who we really are.
How do we lose the weight of perfection? We practice self-forgiveness and self-love. Often when I start working with my clients they list off all of the things that they want to do in order to be perfect in life and business rather than focusing on how to live and create in a full and authentic way. A full and authentic life includes forgiving yourself for being less than perfect and loving yourself in spite of your imperfections. Salvador Dali said, “Have no fear of perfection. You’ll never reach it.” Instead, have a fear of not living an authentic life. Have a fear of carrying around the weight of imperfection on your shoulders each and every day. Let that be your driving factor and your motivation, and let go of perfection because you’re just too busy loving and forgiving yourself.
What are your thoughts? I’d love to know how you plan to start practicing more self-love and self-forgiveness. Comment below or email me at [email protected].