Perfection is a big, sensitive issue for us. We’re your classic {reformed} straight-A students and {recovering} type-A control freaks, which means that perfection was something we thought was good for way too long.
We could write a book about the ways it’s definitely not so good … but that’s a whole ‘nother blog. For now, how about just one great nugget of wisdom about perfection, instead?
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THIS WEEK, WE WANT YOU TO KNOW:
APPLY IT TO YOUR OWN LIFE:
So many of us have spent our lives believing that perfection was about addition.
The house, the car, the clothes, the shoes, the bank account, the friends. Things will be fantastic when I’ve accumulated and amassed all of it.
We allow our to-do lists to pile up, too, thinking that in order to be perfect we’ve got to do everything. One more email? I can’t be the perfect employee unless I respond right away. One more project? I can’t have the perfect career unless I take this on. You need me to be in two places at once? I’ll figure it out, I promise, because I can’t prove my worth until I’ve shown you I’m the perfect multi-tasker.
We layer on thing after thing, hoping that at some point we’ll have achieved enough (money, brownie points, proof of our own worth) to feel like we’re enough.
Except a “perfect life” has nothing to do with how much you’ve got or how much you’ve achieved. It’s about subtraction … it’s about reveling in how little you truly need to just be yourself.
The stuff we pile on, hoping for perfection, is what ultimately suffocates us. #ClarityGems
What could you subtract from your life in the name of perfection? Let us know!
WHAT #CLARITYGEMS ARE ALL ABOUT:
Sometimes it’s just better to avoid long blog posts and cut straight to the point!
Think of #ClarityGems as your weekly shake of the good ‘ole Magic 8 Ball … you never know what might bubble up and how it might be exactly what you need to hear today.
And instead of just a beautiful, inspirational, and shareable image (which is a nice start), we’re giving you some quick thoughts about how to interpret it … because inspiration without action is pretty, but kind of anti-climatic.
Tweet it, share it on Instagram, or forward it along to someone who needs to hear it today … and tag us (@ClarityonFire) to let us know how this Gem is inspiring you!
Much Love,
Kristen + Rachel
P.S. JOIN US FOR LUNCH NEXT WEEK!
If you haven’t heard, we’re doing a live lunch-time hangout on March 24th at 12 PM (EST) to celebrate the launch of the Passion Profile Short Course. We’re talking about the “3 things you must know BEFORE you can connect your career & your passion.”
We’re spending 45 minutes touching on some BIG issues, like …
- How do I figure out what I want to do without wasting a ton of time experimenting and going down the wrong paths?
- The #1 thing you need before you can even THINK about spending your life doing something you’re passionate about.
- How it can actually be simpler and easier than you ever thought possible to get un-stuck and move forward.
If you want to join (or get access to the post-hangout recording), you can register here:
I love that phrase “reveling in how little you truly need to just be yourself”! I think this striving for perfection syndrome has a lot to do with Rachel’s post last week on never feeling done. I have been struggling with that a lot myself lately and this gem has me realizing how much I *think* perfection & happiness live around the corner of being done with everything.
One thing I do (that may help other folks out) is try to slow down whenever I feel the anxiety bubble up from striving for perfection or done-ness. Usually when we’re striving for that we’re also moving really fast trying to get things done in a hurry. If you reverse your physiology and just start moving more slowly it seems to bring you back to center, make you more comfortable with yourself, and help you to realize that you have everything you need right now. Nothing more will make you feel any more complete.
It’s especially helpful in a world whose pace exponentiates from week to week. Just my two cents. Thanks Clarity ladies!