Overcoming Perfectionism

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Be honest: Have you ever met a perfectionist who was truly happy? No, because when things must always ‘be a certain way’, life becomes miserable because it’s constantly changing. As soon as you solve one problem, another comes along. Instead of dwelling on their blessings and being grateful, perfectionists focus on what’s wrong and why they need to fix it. It may be a job they did that was less than perfect, a few pounds they need to lose, or even a disorganized wardrobe. Or it could be someone else’s imperfections: the way they live their life, how they behave, or the way they look. Constantly dwelling on flaws—your own or someone else’s—makes it impossible to be grateful. And gratitude is at the core of happiness. Now, let’s be clear; we’re not talking about striving to do better. That’s a good thing. We’re talking about obsessing over what’s wrong. There’ll always be a better way to do something, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy life the way it is right now. So what’s the cure? Catch yourself before you fall into the trap of insisting that things should be different from how they are. Stop and remind yourself that, in the absence of your judgment, everything will work out just fine. Paul says, ‘…in all things God works for the good of those who love him…’ (Romans 8:28). Are you getting it? God’s in control; it’s okay for you to let go. Instead of focusing on the negative, ‘think about the things that are good and worthy of praise’. When you do, you’ll begin to discover how wonderful life is.

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me spend more time focused on all the wonderful lovely things instead of the other things I think need fixing. In Jesus’ Name, Amen