Were you ever burdened by your perfectionism that you hardly made any progress on an activity that you were doing? It is a daunting beast that hinders growth, forcing you to slave away and produce nothing short of perfection or it is simply unacceptable.
Imagine being able to freely create art or do an activity without this lingering fear looming behind you.
Being mediocre is not some dreaded death sentence that forces you to be stale or average but is an invitation to become better. We often think that we have to reach the top of the mountain to become successful when we the rookie mountaineers can’t even appreciate the many beautiful vistas along the way.
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Myth of Perfection
Here’s a quick spoiler for you: Perfection hates mediocrity more than anything and considers it a dirty word. Perfectionism is the ultimate frenemy.
It whispers sweet nothings like, “You can do better,” and “Don’t stop until it’s flawless,” but leaves you sleepless, stressed, and questioning your worth.
The only problem with perfection is that it will often lead to paralysis and the fear of failure. You become afraid to make mistakes that you don’t even start or worse, you abandon ship when you can’t live up to your unrealistic expectations.
You become unable to move forward because you are afraid that you will make an irreversible mistake that will cost you so much time and effort to fix, thus making your efforts futile.
Mediocrity is beautiful
Society makes mediocrity seem like a massive problem. It is often depicted as a person content on being lazy and average, not wanting to improve anymore and revelling in being stale.
This, however, is not what mediocrity is supposed to be. They are those moments in your life where life is at its most colorful.
They become your happy little accidents, making your life just a little bit more humorous and enjoyful.
You embrace that life is not meant to be perfect and that the world won’t fall apart because you made one, two, or many mistakes in it. When you let go of this need for perfection, you become more liberated and feel more joy as the fear of failure melts away.
Being perfect vs being done
Perfectionism is a cage that hinders a person from being free to create their work, participate in activities, or act in public for fear of causing mistakes. Perfectionists waste considerable time nitpicking details when the work being asked of them doesn’t require perfection, only that it is done.
They are their own worst critics and blame themselves when something goes awry even if it is something as minor as having one tiny pixel that is not the same shade as the artwork.
Mistakes are inevitable, but they don’t have to be the be-all-end-all. They prove that you are consistently trying, learning, growing, and most of all, enjoying the process.
You begin to appreciate taking a step back and look at your work from a different point of view and become more productive as a result. Think about this as well: wouldn’t you rather have a story where you rose from the bottom and developed into a worthy artist instead of just being talented right away?
Life is boring without mistakes
Imperfection adds character and relatability to your life. After all, it is what makes you and your life interesting. No one goes through life without making a single mistake, after all.
Stories of the perfect vacation are often less interesting than having your trip to the new stadium be filled with hapless adventure because you got a flat tire and had to do repairs in the middle of the road since your buddy insisted on driving instead of you.
These small moments will be a lot more memorable because of the emotions at play. Sure, you could have a wonderful time at the beach, but fixing a flat with a broken tire iron as your buddy sings NSYNC non-stop, being a nuisance is way more memorable and entertaining.
I want to break free
In order for you to break the curse of perfectionism, here are a few things you can do to slowly wean yourself from it as you embrace the mediocre:
Baby steps at first
Letting go of perfectionism takes time and there is no reason to be hasty. If you are usually a perfectionist when you are a writer, for example, you don’t need to craft the most prose-heavy dialect when all that’s needed is for a casual, conversational tone for your article.
Once you do, notice how this makes you feel and how it wasn’t such a big deal if you made mistakes in the first place.
Prioritize what matters
While doing an activity with a time limit, do your best to do what you can and not aim for perfection. You are teaching your brain to prioritize what is more important and to let the minor details slide.
This way, even if you have some mistakes, the overall product is still highly accurate and you made it just in time.
Be realistic with yourself
Perfectionists often set impossibly high standards for themselves and others, which leads to disappointment and frustration. Learn to set achievable goals and give yourself and others some grace. Not every achievement needs to be grand and spectacular.
Celebrate your progress
No matter how small your progress is, a win is still a win. Progress is always worth celebrating even if it is messy, incomplete, and filled with mistakes.
Take a step back and see just how far you’ve come when you first started instead of how far you still have to go. It is not about how long it will take to reach your goal but the events along the way and your continued growth.
Learn to love yourself
As previously mentioned, perfectionists tend to be their own worst critics and pressure themselves into not making mistakes. See yourself like you would your friend and offer encouragement instead of judgement.
Give yourself a break whenever you struggle. Not everything in life has to be so serious. Laugh at your own mistakes and learn to keep your chin held high.
Closing thoughts
Stepping away from being a perfectionist and relishing in your quirky, fun, mediocre moments is the gateway to happiness. It is a journey of self-awareness, self-reflection, and experimentation that leads to rewards that are worth fighting for.
Breaking free from perfectionism doesn’t happen overnight, nor may it happen for months.
Learn to let go gradually and lean towards becoming more enthusiastic about your progress. You’ll find yourself with a lot less stress and worry to think about because of it.
Enjoyed this post? You might also like these:
- How to Embrace Your Mediocre Talents and Still Shine
- How to Build Confidence When You’re Just Okay at Everything
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