It may not seem like it at first, but the need for perfection is very closely related to the need for control. You’ve heard the term “control freak”? That’s what we’re talking about here.
Whether you’ve got a Type A, Type B or Type XYZ personality, you probably strive for perfection in most things that you do. And this probably ends up causing you a lot of undue stress and worry.
What if you could be kinder to yourself, more accepting of imperfection, and let go of some of that need for control?
You’d be a lot happier. You’d be more relaxed, and more able to enjoy your own life. And you’d feel much less stress and worry, probably sleep better at night, and lose much of the anxiety you feel day to day.
Who Wouldn’t Want That?
The need for control in our lives develops early, usually developing based on an experience where control was lost and there was a significant painful result. A controlling personality can also develop from the need to feel and be superior to others. But no matter what the reason for the controlling personality, you can take steps to release yourself from this constant nagging need, and experience myriad benefits from doing so.
One of the most effective ways to let go of your need for perfection is to stop and take a deep breath when you are faced with a task you feel the need to control. Just breathe, take a mental step back, and repeat to yourself, “This does not need to be perfect. My best is good enough.”
Come up with a mantra that you can repeat – something similar to the above – that gives you permission to release yourself from perfection and control. What you will eventually find is that, by allowing yourself the room to be imperfect, you also allow yourself to embrace yourself more lovingly, with much more focus on who you are inside than what you can do for others.
So while it may appear that you are letting go, think of what you are gaining in the process! When you let go of the need to control and be perfect in everything, you make room in your life for so many little pleasures and lessons. You can learn things from others points of view, and how they do things. To them, their particular way is perfect.
