Perfection is overrated.

When was it when you got the idea that you had to be perfect? Was it in grade school, from that 2nd grade teacher, was it from a parent, or older sibling, or just from an inner sense of having high expectations?

Or all of the above?

When we have ultra high expectations for ourselves, we are saddled with such pressure that it can make moving through life ultra tricky. Yes, we may get praise from our bosses, but we also are full of frustration, or exhaustion, or just plain burned out!

“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor,” says Anne Lamott.

We are human, and being perfect is impossible. When we focus on striving for an ideal, we lose focus on the here and now—and the present is the place where we experience joy, satisfaction, contentment. Who would want to miss that?

Listen to that perfectionistic inner self-talk. Perhaps it can change. Try this STOPP exercise—to Stop, Take a breath, Observe, Perspective, and Practice—open to a new experience released from that inner oppression!