Living Your Best Life Doesn’t Mean It Has to Be Perfect

Living your best life sounds like an Oprah Magazine article and while it’s a wonderful goal to shoot for, many of us confuse that with living the perfect life. We get hung up on all the details, trying to make sure everything is just right. We tell ourselves it has to be the right time or the best circumstances before we’re ready to try something new or make a change. We let perfectionism hold us back. I’m certainly guilty of that!

If you feel you are similar in this regard, keep reading and learn how you can live your best life without waiting for it to be perfect.

Consider What’s at Stake

First, when you get caught up in feeling like things have to be just right, take a minute to consider what it could cost you. What could you miss out on if you wait until things are perfect? What opportunity are you giving up because it might not be what you think is the right time? Often, this simple reflection will be enough to push you toward going after your goal, rather than waiting for a better time.

Know It’s Not All or Nothing

The all-or-nothing trap is one that is common. This is the belief that you have to have all the resources in place or know everything there is to know before taking on a task. I’ve done this SO often. I created blog posts and then didn’t hit the publish button because I thought I needed to research just one more thing to add. But this line of thinking is false. It’s simply a way of getting caught up in the cycle of perfectionism and remaining in place. Take baby steps and give it a try even if you don’t have everything in place. (I did this with my Prepper Pantry Emergency Food Storage Guide. I just took baby steps every day and it suddenly came together quite nicely.) Sometimes things come together on their own.

Change Your Self-Talk

If perfectionism is holding you back from living your best life, chances are good that you’re probably sending yourself some negative messages. Listen to what your inner critic is saying to you the next time you find yourself holding back about something and then see if you can’t turn that message around. If you hear yourself saying that you’ll never get the job promotion because you don’t have ALL the skills you need, try giving yourself some real reasons why you might just have what it takes and what you have to offer. Tell yourself “STOP!” out loud and change your inner conversation.

Learn to Accept Good Enough

Finally, try just accepting good enough and see what happens. The next time you want to do something different or step out of your comfort zone, but you don’t think you’re ready, just go for it. Pay attention to how you feel and what it’s like to push past those feelings. Note the end result. Maybe things won’t turn out perfectly, but you may discover they end up being just fine anyway!

Keep these steps in mind the next time your inner perfectionist tries to sabotage you and keep you from living your best life. You may be surprised at the results.