The Problem With Trying to be Perfect

Doesn’t the location in the photo look like the perfect spot?
Beautiful. Secluded. Romantic.
Sometimes perfect is…well, perfect.

But, there are times when seeking and desiring what is perfect may not be the best choice.

I’ve struggled with perfectionism my whole life.

As a student, I wasn’t satisfied with anything less than an “A.”

As an adult, the house needed to be spotless before I could be comfortable with inviting people in. I stressed over meals prepared and worried that guests might think the meat was a tad over-cooked, the mashed potatoes could have been creamier, and the vegetables fresher.

As a writer, I look back on pieces that have been published on this blog or in various publications, and wish I could rewrite them. I continue to see ways in which sentences could have been written better grammatically or with more vivid and exciting details.

It’s stressful being a perfectionist. You’re convinced that you must always perform well. Anything less than perfect is not acceptable. The disease doesn’t allow for flaws or relaxation.

But, here's the problem. No one is perfect. It's an impossible feat.

Then why do people strive to look like they always have it together? It probably comes from an ingrained untruth. In order to be accepted or loved, you must be perfect.

I’ve worked hard and have made great strides in letting go of perfectionism. Maybe it comes with age. Maybe it’s because I have a husband who is accepting of my defects and helps me laugh about them. Maybe it’s having friends who allow me to be myself without fear of being rejected.

I no longer thoroughly clean the house every week and I remind myself that the company shared is more important than the food cooked.

As I work in our front yard, I climb up and down ladders to water hanging baskets. I have a tendency to trip over hoses as I pull them from one end of the yard to the other. In my tattered T-shirts and paint-splashed shorts, I can’t be making a very graceful impression on the neighbors. But, it’s okay.

The more I stop worrying about doing everything perfect, the more fun I have. It frees me to try new things without having to do them right.

God knows and understands that I can’t be perfect…but loves me anyway. So much that He provided a way for me to be perfect in His sight. Forgiveness and the gift of salvation.

Dawn