Perfectionism is not your friend

 How could I pass up a Minesweeper reference? 

Imagine this scenario (I would tell you to close your eyes, but since my blog is a visual rather than auditory medium, that might not be the best idea): You have reached your goal, be it fitness, weight loss, a job you want, a degree you’re working on, or a relationship you’ve invested in. You see yourself running in a 5K race, happily choosing grilled chicken salad over a bacon double cheeseburger, or walking across the stage to accept your diploma. How do you feel as you imagine this? Now, how do you feel when you think about your reality?  

If you’re me, you feel a fleeting moment of elation (I can do anything I put my mind to!) followed by a gaping sense of despair (that’s never gonna happen – why should I even try?). 

It’s so hard to start when we’ve convinced ourselves that we’re going to fail. Or, sometimes worse yet, we start and we get all gung-ho with our plans: We obsess and turn our lives upside down with sudden, dramatic change that’s impossible to sustain long-term. So, when one day we have a bite of brownie (or, let’s be honest here, a PAN of brownies) we feel like it’s over and there’s no point in trying anymore. We end up face-first in the Ben & Jerry’s before we’ve even processed what’s happening. 

Here’s why I get corny. Deal. Sometimes things are cliché because they’re true. 

The real goal isn’t a number on the scale, or on the tag in your jeans, or your 5K pace, or your salary. Because I guarantee that, once you reach that arbitrary goal, chances are it won’t be low enough, fast enough, or high enough. There’s no such thing as perfect. 

So the real goal is progress, not perfection. You can’t run 5 miles? You can walk around the block once, and maybe next week you can go around twice. You’re having pizza for dinner? Great, don’t get the pan crust or the Meat Lover’s and blot the extra oil - the next time you order pizza, eat one fewer slice with a side salad. Jillian wants you to do 30 jumping jacks? Do 5 and then keep your arms and legs moving the rest of the time (and feel free to mutter curses to her under your breath). The next time you do the workout, do 6 jumping jacks, or do 5 at the beginning and 5 at the end. You have a stressful day and you end up having a burger, fries, and shake thinking that they will make you feel better? Eat them, be honest with yourself that they didn’t really solve any problems, wake up the next morning and move on (that doesn’t mean eating only lettuce that day, either – that’s more all-or-nothing thinking). 

I really hope this doesn’t come off as patronizing. I absolutely believe this: making baby steps isn’t being lazy, it’s being smart. It’s allowing yourself time to adjust to change and being kind to yourself. 

The trick, of course, is remembering that there’s a balance. Being kind to yourself sometimes means allowing yourself the cheeseburger, but more often it means acknowledging that NOT eating the cheeseburger is actually a better choice. Wah wah - sorry to be a Debbie Downer there for a second. :)

Thanks for reading! Now go watch some football!