In my constant effort to get over my fear of failure and the need to do everything perfectly, I have found a really great reframe that I’d like to share.
Instead of trying to do things perfectly, I am going to focus on being consistent. Being consistent is valuable to me. It means that I can depend on myself to do the things I say I am going to do. It also shows others that I can be depended on.
Being perfect does nothing but hold me back. It means that I don’t put my work out into the world. It means that I constantly disappoint myself. It exhausts me.
The need to be perfect isn’t just something that we come up with on our own. Women learn from an early age that this is what’s expected of them by a society that wants to keep us in our place. We can’t rise up and change the system if we never speak up in fear of not doing it perfectly. We can’t use our power if we burn ourselves out trying to do it all perfectly.
Instead, what if we just aimed to be consistent. I want to put my thoughts out consistently, not perfectly.
What does this look like in practice?
I will speak out when I have thoughts.
I will be willing to be wrong.
I will be willing to set boundaries around what effort I am willing to put in to activities and tasks.
I will take care of myself in ways that feel good to me.
I will do what I say I am going to do.
I will not overcommit.
And I will learn from it all.
What would consistency look like for you?