We’re all waiting for that perfect time. If it’s not the time that’s stopping us, it is the obsession with perfect ideas.

If you’ve had your ideas sorted, you’re waiting for the perfect work to go out.

I’ve seen people staring into the mirror and thinking to themselves they weren’t good enough. They think they’re not perfect.

I’ve had terrible problems because of my obsession with perfection. One of my best articles was in drafts for 6 months before I published it because I wanted it to be perfect.

I’ve lost opportunities with potential clients because I didn’t approach them, I wanted the timing and the pitch to be perfect.

This weird obsession with perfectionism creates anxiety that holds you back.

Either consciously or unconsciously we’re comparing things with what we think is ‘ideal’.

There’s one serious problem with ideal things. They aren’t realistic, and sometimes unattainable. And, they have nothing to do with true happiness. It is all just good advertising that has embedded the idea of ideal things.

Good advertising works on “It’s not right until I get that or until I get to such and such point”. Good advertising is about finding the pains and suggesting the ‘perfect solution for them.

Also, The ideal is limited. True perfection is limitless. It is always expanding.

Let me share an analogy with you that changed the way I looked at perfection. I read about this in the book The Practicing Mind by Thomas M. Sterner.

Have You Noticed A Flower?

https://preview.redd.it/x7i3t8jj6kug1.jpg?width=1400&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c799a3af9ad75e49cacf18e3b4b4cdfb4512ed8

Press enter or click to view image in full size

Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash

Ask yourself: At what point in a flower’s life from seed to full bloom does it reach perfection?

Is it perfect when it is waiting to be plated in the ground?

Is it perfect when it is planted some inches below the ground?

It is perfect when it’s just peeking out from the earth?

It is perfect when it grows to a foot long?

It is perfect when it is ready to grow flowers?

Is it perfect when you can see it has developed the leaves well now and there is a small beautiful bud showing up?

It is perfect when it’s growing even more flowers growing and the flowers are blooming in beautiful colors?

Or, is it perfect when it has reached its full bloom?

And, yes, there comes a humble and quiet ending to her life. Back to the soil, where it came from.

Tell me, At what point was it perfect?

It is perfect every moment. Right from when it was softly placed into the earth to its energy in full bloom.

It is never imperfect. It is right there. In the moment, embracing the present.

You’re perfect. Every single moment.

This analogy helped me change my perspective about perfection, I hope it helps you too.

hi i have 3 days until my mocks start and i’ve done about 30 minutes of revision only, and that took me about 2 hours because i sat there thinking about doing it for 20 minutes and then i between each sentence i went on tiktok for ages.

i genuinely just cannot revise for the life of me like i would rather sit there staring at my revision than doing it.

i revised for my gcse speech because i wrote it about something i actually enjoy learning about (lana del rey/ pop culture) and i spent hours writing it and learning it off by heart just for it to be like 5% of my grade.

i tried revising for english by making my own exam style questions about lana del rey- analysing lana del rey interviews- but still i just didn’t enjoy it and only did 5 minutes of it before giving up.

genuinely help. toxic motivation doesn’t work on me. and no idgaf if my non existent children have to look at the menu prices in a restaurant in 20 years.