Self Sabotage. The dictionary defines sabotage as the act of destroying or obstructing something. It can happen in our lives as well. It might look like procrastinating on a project/chore, or thoughts that run rampant that stops you in your tracks.

Self sabotage takes the obstruction towards a goal, and centers it on ourselves. We end up making a decision where the outcome will be worse because of our choice. (Like when we go out the night before a big presentation that we have at 6 am.)

In the next few blog posts, we'll look at self sabotage, find tasks to combat against it, and start living a life free from the heartache and frustration that it causes us.

In this post, we will be focusing on one of the patterns that self sabotage appears as for many. Perfectionism.

As we seek to complete steps towards our goals, it can become apparent that something is holding us back. An internal voice starts to throw a tantrum that we didn't do it perfectly. That's perfectionism.

Perfection is the ability to do something, create something, be something that is completely perfect. Seems like a good mindset to have, right? To have as a goal for the project, a dream, a perspective. Yet......is it realistic? Does doing something perfect outweigh the tramping over others that it took to get there. Does waiting to make a choice, so that it is at the perfect moment, outweigh spontaneous fun and joy? Is perfection even attainable with these human hands/mind?

So how do we find out whether the perfectionist bug has bitten us?

We start by taking a temperature of our well being throughout the day.

Task: Track the highs and lows of your day. A high point may be inspiration through a podcast. While a low point may be dissatisfaction of ourselves after scrolling through social media. Find your peaks and valleys in your day, and then throughout the week. What new awareness has this brought about?

With new eyes that see 0ur days, we can combat against perfectionism by:

Celebrating small steps taken towards a goal, especially so, if they were completed imperfectly. Start hooray'ing no matter the quality. Realize that imperfect work is part of the process. In living out perfectionism, we try our best to not fail, but it's also holding us back from finishing the task/project at hand as well. Lastly, connect with someone whom you trust, someone who would encourage you, and show them the project or tell them your fork in the road choices, and have them shower you with the confetti of support.

If you're seeking help in working through perfectionism, contact us today at www.creativereflections.org. We're excited to help you in your journey!