Perfection is a Limitation, Forget the Word. Here's Why

In a world being dominated by social media, filters, and societal expectations it is almost impossible not to start comparing ourselves to others. We are encouraged to follow a certain path or look a certain way by the people, posts, and overedited picture-perfect lives popping up on all the screens around us. We quickly become our own worst critics, without even realizing it. Slowing ourselves down by striving for an unattainable image we may not even truly want. 

Do you ever feel like you haven’t accomplished enough? Or that you have to look, speak, or act a certain way to please the people around you? Maybe it has become difficult to appreciate the smaller successes, or even recognize them. It’s not just you; we have been conditioned to look at the "bigger picture" and overall image of ourselves and the things we strive for, so we've started to brush past the little victories and along the way lost appreciation for the process of growth.

It's time to shift that mindset. 

Practice for progress, not perfection. Lately I've been obsessing over how I can work to reach my full potential, and then I realized that that is something I can never accomplish. At first that scared me, but then that thought became empowering, because as we all accomplish things and continue to grow, our potential grows with us.

As we make things happen, whether they are a success or failure, new doors and opportunities open themselves up to our lives, giving us the opportunity for constant growth. If you reach all your goals you may have reached the full potential you once had, but as a new person with different experiences making you who you are in this moment, in this period of time, your potential has evolved with you; making it something to keep challenging and reaching for.

Life's changes and society's evolution is inevitable, but the decision to move forward and progress, or settle is in our hands. It's our power.

Once we have accepted the fact that we can never be perfect, we become limitless instead.

Remember that the only person that needs to approve of you IS YOU. 

Want to quit your job to work on something that actually brings you joy? Forget about disappointing that voice telling you to play it safe, prepare yourself to take a calculated risk and embrace the start of a new chapter in your life. Feel like traveling or moving but don't want to leave your friends behind?, or scared of seeming "impulsive" or "irresponsible"?  The real ones will be there for you, and your greatest responsibility is to yourself. If you are not happy and taking care of yourself, how can you help the people around you? Has quarantine made you feel like you are not being productive enough? Well maybe you have made progress you did not consider, such as: starting to make your bed, or take more walks, finally addressing a home project you’ve been procrastinating on, or spending more time with some family, tried a new recipe, gone through a breakup, or started educating yourself about a new interest online. Everything is a little step forward; every good or bad experience will teach you something. Our smaller steps are progress, they are what lead us to walking, jogging, and then full on running. They are meant to be celebrated, they are stepping stones and building blocks.

Do not fear failure, welcome it, because some of our greatest moments of self-development, of strength, and of growth will come from picking ourselves back up, learning from our experiences and marching forward. We don't just go through things; we grow through them.

"Se hai paura di perdere, alla fine non giochi bene." ~ Sotto il Sole di Riccione

Translation: "If you're afraid of losing, in the end you don't play well."