Do you have perfectionist tendencies? Me too.
I am a recovering perfectionist. I am not a perfectionist in that my spaces are neat and tidy. I actually always have piles everywhere, and my family can vouch for that.
I am a personality perfectionist. I have high standards for myself. Some may say having high expectations and goals is good, yet it becomes unhealthy when you don’t give yourself the mercy you give others.
When you are never enough for yourself. When there is always a higher bar you are trying to reach. It can lead to a lack of contentment and rest within.
Running the past eighteen months has been helping me refine myself within, including ridding myself of many of my perfectionist tendencies.
One thing running has taught me is that there isn’t a perfect run or race, there is the best you did in the moment that day.
And this is like life.
Rather than aiming for perfection, what if we simply do our best in the moment each day? Knowing what our best looks like will vary day by day, just like the runs.
I share this today in case you are a recovering perfectionist as well.
I invite you to join me to…
pause. breathe. pray.
May we be honest with ourselves about perfectionist tendencies. May we reflect on the mercy we offer others and extend that same mercy to ourselves as well. May we throw away the unrealistic expectations and lies we tell ourselves. And instead, meet ourselves with humility and kindness we would offer others. May God’s truth remind us He doesn’t expect perfection from us, that’s why there is mercy. May we allow God’s truth and love to transform our hearts and minds so that we let go of perfection and experience a deeper contentment and rest within.
With love and hope,
Shawn
And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. - Micah 6:8