Perfection Is Overrated

Perfection Is Overrated

Growing up I always heard the saying “practice makes perfect”.  As a recovering perfectionist, I have really come to loathe that saying because I wonder to myself “is perfection the truly end goal?” What if we said something like “practice makes better?” Would getting better at something be enough?

Perfectionism in the realm of eating habits can lead to frustration and disappointment. It seems like every day, either in person, on Facebook or television, I see people who put severe restrictions on their eating habits. I’m giving up wine. This week, I’m cutting out sugar. No carbs for two days. For the next ten days, no coffee.  And last but not least, no more chocolate.

And while limiting what you eat can be a good thing, an all or nothing attitude sets you up for potential failure. When you don’t eat something, what do you want? That thing you’re not eating. You say to yourself, I’m giving up ice cream. And all of the sudden ice cream seems to be everywhere and you want it soooo bad. And then what happens? You cave and eat the whole container.

What if instead of saying “I’m giving up ice cream” you said something more like “it’s important to take care of myself without feeling deprived. So this week, I’ll allow myself to have one serving of ice cream”. Now some of you are thinking, OK Tara, let’s get real here, I just can’t have that kind of stuff in my house or I’ll eat it…understood. How about ordering yourself a kid-sized scoop of ice cream as a special treat?

My point is, instead of being perfect, how about being better? Instead of deprivation, how about trying moderation? Moderating what you eat is far more maintainable for a lifetime than deprivation. When you feel deprived, you always seem to want more. You think about that forbidden food, you long for it and you get annoyed with those skinny little people who can eat whatever they want, whenever they want. You become cranky, resentful, frustrated and sometimes you just call it quits.

Think about one small change in your eating you can make this week. Maybe it’s that latte you grab each day in the drive through? Or swapping out something fried for something baked or broiled? Maybe it’s eating only ½ a candy bar or downsizing from the family sized candy bar to a smaller one? Or enjoying the natural sweetness of fruit instead of adding sugar? Maybe instead of eating pizza out every Friday night you figure out a way to make a healthier version at home? Or you swap out a bottled water for that second drink at happy hour? There are endless small changes you can make to your eating habits that can be sustainable for the long haul. After you’ve made one small change and sustained it, make another. And as I’ve said before, all of these small changes will lead to big results.

Trust me, perfection IS overrated. Practice DOES make better. Once you change a habit and repeat it over and over, you will feel so much better!

Ask for help. Make the choice. Commit to the choice. Continue with courage.

Hugs and friendship,

Tara