I saw a quote this weekend and I cannot for the life of me remember where I saw it. It said something like “remind yourself that it is OK to not be perfect.” I didn’t think much of it until my wife said something about feeling guilty about not going to the gym. That statement got me thinking about my own short falls that happen because life interferes on a second by second basis to my own self-laid plans. It is easy to deem yourself a failure when plans are changed. What would life be if it wasn't full of well thought out plans that never happen? It would be boring, but it would also be a disappointment to a lot of people. How does this tie into wellness? Keep reading.
I have said on many occasions that the best we can do is to be better than we were yesterday. We cannot be perfect but we can try. If we all tried for perfection, the best that could happen is failure. But how bad is that, really? If your goal, let’s say at the gym, was to run 3 miles in 30 minutes, but you got it done in 37 minutes? Is that a failure? Of course it isn’t a failure. It’s more of an obstacle, a new goal, maybe more realistic. Sooner rather than later, you get to your 30 minute goal and you go for a faster time, or maybe a longer distance. But if we looked at an un-met goal as a failure every time we fall short, sooner or later the self-esteem dam is going to break and giving up becomes the only viable option.
Our mindset needs to be focused more on reflection. How can we be better people? I don’t mean just health either. I mean in all aspects of our life, where could we have done more to be perfect? Did you help someone in their job? Did you pick up someone’s coat off the floor for them, or allow someone to merge into traffic ahead of you? These seem like menial things that don’t matter, but they DO matter to someone. We cannot fully pay it forward without first paying our debt ourselves. My quest for perfection will always fall short so I have come to realize that the importance of attaining perfection in anything I do is not realistic. I am frustrated less and more motivated to simply improve in some aspect of my own life. Doing so potentially gives someone the motivation they need to simplify reality. Every journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step, right? So take the first step in the right direction. Then, take another step, and another until ultimately the momentum of positive energy keeps you going with less mental effort. You may be surprised on how simple life can be when you stop seeking perfection and just be better than you were yesterday.
Diabetics will have a lifetime battle of controlling their blood sugar. They may wake up one morning after doing everything right the day before, poke their finger and feed the meter. The number that comes up usually dictates the remainder of their day. If it’s high, they are going to fret and stress over something that realistically is just a number and say “why bother being good and miserable if THAT is all that happens?” This, in particular, is the problem with seeking perfection. This is a big picture kind of thing. Reversing diabetes is a process and one that does not happen in 24 hours after years of abuse. For all you diabetics out there, just be better than yesterday. I promise you that sooner rather than later, your body will adjust to a new lifestyle and things will get better. Read the last line again and put it all together. Tomorrow is a new day. If you adopt the mentality that all you need to do is be better tomorrow than you were today, the disease is manageable. It is not the 1000 mile journey all at once. It is just a step in the right direction.
So stop seeking perfection. Avoiding the perception that we need to be perfect alleviates stress and allows us to be human. We will all make mistakes, repeatedly. Accept that fact in move on. Wellness, diabetes, personal and professional relationships can all be handled with one mind set of improving daily. Make the small changes that are realistic and sustainable. One step at a time, one day at a time, we can change the world one person at a time.
Start with yourself and pay it forward.