The Guide to Imperfection

DO A REALITY CHECK. What is the worst-case scenario? Elizabeth Lombardo,Ph.D, author of Better Than Perfect suggests to ask yourself if your assessment was accurate. To prove that imperfection is never as horrible as imagined, keep a log of your mess-ups and their consequences. SHARE YOUR MISTAKES WITH OTHERS. Pyschotherapist Sharon Martin says, "You will start to see that errors are common and people are not judging you as negatively as you fear." She goes on to say, "Likely your friends will say,"That happens to me too!" Check out the Whisper app. People anonymously share blunders and yearnings. TRY SELF-COMPASSION Instead of berating yourself, talk to yourself as you would someone else who made the same mistakes. CHANGE YOUR MATH. Instead of trying to do things 100%, try a nonessential task and maybe do 80% instead. Example: Buy premade pie crust instead of making it from scratch. See if these tasks turn out just as good. You will learn how much time you have wasted on trying to be perfect at details that are less important. You could be using this energy for more satisfying things. TAKE UP SOMETHING YOU THINK YOU WILL BE BAD AT. Pyschotherapist Sharon Martin recommends for anyone with a fear of looking foolish to explore a hobby that you have been interested in. This hobby should be one that you are afraid to try. Martin says this will build your tolerance of mistakes in all parts of your life. She explains that you will learn that mistakes are just part of the learning process.