In our perfectionistic culture, it’s unrealistic to expect yourself to just suddenly be 100% comfortable with all the things we’ve been told all our lives are “flaws.”
In fact, expecting that is just a different kind of perfectionism! Getting comfortable with imperfection is a practice.
It happens every time you look at your face in the mirror and get friendly to that new smile line you see; or every time you tell yourself “it’s okay” when you make a mistake at work or in a relationship.
If you try practicing being gentle and flexible with yourself in little, daily ways—giving yourself permission to be “imperfect”—you might find that it naturally, gradually grows into a greater sense of ease.
Develop your own standard.
When you get down to it, the perfectionistic standard handed to us by our culture—especially as women—is pretty ridiculous.
It’s designed by the advertising agencies and companies to play on our fears that something is wrong with us, and get us to buy products that (we hope!) will help us fix it.
If you take a step back—enough to see that this standard is made-up and arbitrary—eventually a whole lot more space and freedom opens up.
And in that space, you can develop your own standard for yourself—which I think is a whole lot more fun than trying to live up to someone else’s.
What qualities do you actually admire? Which practices would you like to try? What’s ideal for you?
(Hint: it probably has something to do with what makes you feel really good and connects you to your joy, which inspires people around you and guides you to expansion, beauty and growth).