It’s good to have goals and standards for yourself, but sometimes they can get a bit out of hand. When the idea of “perfection” is constantly looming overhead, it can become difficult to find ways to give yourself a break, especially when things don’t go according to your plan.
So, if you are having a hard time cutting yourself some slack, then check out these tips below, because it’s perfectly OK to not be perfect.
1. Stop comparing yourself to others
A photo pops up on your Instagram feed of the most perfect living room you’ve ever seen, prompting you to wonder why the heck you aren’t more on your decorating game. You then go on an hour-long Pinterest binge, pinning photos of your ideal home, all while feeling pretty bad about your current digs.
It’s true that it’s easier today than ever before to compare ourselves to others. Social media offers a constant parade of other people’s successes, beautiful homes, and vacation photos. It can be all too easy to slide down jealous’s slippery slope, but keep in mind that you are only seeing small glimpses into someone’s life. The reality is, people are constantly showcasing the best aspects of their life onto social media. The arrival of a new baby and a recent trip to the Caribbean are both ideal picture-posting occasions. But do these same people post photos of 2 a.m. feedings or lost luggage? Not often, because that wouldn’t show them in an ideal light, but it would provide a sense of reality. The lesson is to take everything with a grain of salt, and remember that even though someone’s life may look perfect online, they’re probably just as human as you.
2. Lower your expectations
Creating impossible standards for yourself, whether it be in school or at work or wherever, is essentially setting yourself up for failure and eventual disappointment. If your expectations are too high, you are bound to be disappointed. Think of the last time you took a test when you thought you failed, but ended up with a B. You were elated, because you weren’t expecting to do much better.
3. Keep a gratitude list
We all have a running to-do list in our heads, full of chores and goals and things we think absolutely must happen in order for us to be happy. It can be exhausting, to say the least.
While it’s great to dream about the future, it’s also important to take stock of the things you’ve already accomplished, as well as things that are going well in your life right now. Take some time each night to jot down a few things you’re grateful for. Then be sure to appreciate each thing, instead of doing it all for the sake of getting it done.
4. Realize it’s all okay
It’s important to keep some perspective when it comes to our expectations for ourselves. If you are beating yourself up for all the things you haven’t done, forgot to do, or didn’t do perfectly, then take a moment and give yourself time to see the bigger picture.
Sure, it would be great if everything went perfectly all the time, but that’s not reality. The reality is you miss the bus, or forget your friend’s birthday, or mess up at work. And that’s OK. If you give yourself permission to mess up, then you’re less likely to beat yourself up whenever something goes wrong.
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