Link for Moving Beyond Procrastination Distraction and Overwhelm Workshop
Prevailing over Procrastination #1 - Is a Perfectionist Hiding Inside You?
We all deal with procrastination at one time or another, some of us more than others. I’m going to write a series of short articles on some of the causes and solutions to procrastination. If there’s something specific you’d like me to address post in the comments and i’ll address the topic in a future post. The first article is on perfectionism which is more insidious and comes in more variations than you may think.
What do you think of when you think of the term perfectionist? Most people think of a perfectionist as someone who is very rigid in their thinking with incredibly high standards for themselves and others. And yet there’s often a perfectionist hiding within us that we are not even aware of.
Have you ever had the experience of having 10 minutes (or any time that you feel is just not enough) for your fitness routine but your workout typically takes 30 minutes, an hour, etc. And you choose not to do it because, it’s just not enough time. Even though you could have been quite productive in that 10 minutes, a part of you said, “If I don’t have time for all of it, then it’s just not worth it.” Fill in anything else in the place of workout (i.e. read a book, clean your house, get started on a project).
Maybe you want to get started on a project that’s important to you such as writing a paper or making a post. If don’t get started because you worry about how someone else might judge it and thus judge you if they saw it, that’s at its core is a form of perfectionism. Or perhaps you simply feel like it will take a lot of energy to complete the project. And just having that thought takes away some of your energy and you get into a pattern of judging yourself or feeling exhausted before you even begin.
These tendencies of avoiding can become ingrained patterns that keep us from achieving our goals. But whose standards are you measuring against? Are you really better off being in a pattern of avoidance.
I mentioned the workout routine because several years ago I found I was not working out because i felt i did not have the time. Even when i did, it felt to exhausting to even think about getting back into shape, so i felt overwhelmed and wanting to leave each time i entered the gym. I decided to do 10 minute workouts. If i did nothing but enter the gym for 10 minutes that would be enough. Of course once inside I always did something. I spent between 3-6 months doing three 10 minute workouts per week. Those workouts were really valuable in getting me back on track.
Where are you getting stuck because you’re trying to do it “right”? What if you could let go of that and move forward anyway? Whose voice do you hear when telling yourself it’s not good enough? What if you gave yourself permission to be a little less perfect? Give it a try. Next time you find yourself thinking it’s not worth doing unless it’s perfect (whatever that means to you) I invite you to expand your definition of what good enough means.
Try it with something small first and create a series of wins for yourself so you develop a pattern of success. Eventually you can do this with bigger and bigger things. Changing your neural pathways to increase your success. I bet you’ll be surprised by the impact.
Let me know what you think of this post and what other topics you’d like me cover in the comments below.
While sometimes simply becoming aware of a dynamic can help us make shifts, other times old or unconscious stories are stored in our bodies controlling what we do despite what our mind says. That’s where EFT Tapping comes in. To help release the old stories that keep us stuck despite our conscious knowledge. I have a couple upcoming EFT courses on releasing procrastination, distraction and overwhelm. Because we will be tapping live with participants, you’ll gain something new each time you attend the workshop. Learn more and sign up here:
Moving Beyond Procrastination Distraction and Overwhelm Workshop