- Create a Healthy Holiday You
- Healthy Holiday: Get Your Head in the December Game!
- Healthy Holiday: The Best Way to Party & Not Regret It in the Morning
- Healthy Holiday: One Easy Way to Squeeze Exercise into a Tight Schedule
- Healthy Holiday: You Know What They Say About Perfectionism…
- Healthy Holiday: How to Fall in Love with New Year’s Resolutions
Perfectionism is highly valued in our culture.
I’ll stand up, raise my hand, and be the first one to admit I’ve half-mockingly, half-pridefully called myself a perfectionist to friends, in front of audiences, and in job interviews. It’s the one “bad” trait we think is mostly actually good, right?
After all, who wouldn’t want to have a perfectionist on the job team, cooking the holiday dinner, or running the show?
Here’s the Truth:
Perfectionism pushes people away from us — it does not draw them closer.
Perfectionism will ruin our holiday, and it will ruin it for those around us, too. This is why:
When we set the standard of perfection for ourselves, others around us cannot be less than perfect, either.
You Know What They Say About Perfectionism…or do you?
What will relax our perfectionist ways?
Use these ideas:
- Rest in Jesus’ perfection.
Jesus says,
“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Matthew 5:48
Um…Say what?! Why is Jesus asking us to be perfect, when He knows full well we cannot? The key is in this verse:
“I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”Isaiah 61:10
When God looks at us, He doesn’t see us, He sees Jesus. As Christians, we are covered over in a robe of righteousness.
Jesus perfection covers our imperfections, once and forever. We rest in this.
- Pour on the compassion. We give ourselves grace. Grace for those around us. Then we give some more. And again. When in doubt, may we err on the side of love.
- Delegate! For goodness sake, let’s give some of that to-do list away, friends. We do not have to do it all, and we don’t even have to do most. Let’s let the kids wrap those gifts. So what if it is all crooked and uses half a roll of scotch tape. Next week the tape and scissors will have gone missing for all eternity anyway, so we might as well let the kids have their heyday.
Love, Me
XOXOXO
- Create a Healthy Holiday You
- Healthy Holiday: Get Your Head in the December Game!
- Healthy Holiday: The Best Way to Party & Not Regret It in the Morning
- Healthy Holiday: One Easy Way to Squeeze Exercise into a Tight Schedule
- Healthy Holiday: You Know What They Say About Perfectionism…
- Healthy Holiday: How to Fall in Love with New Year’s Resolutions
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God is good!
Definitely something that I have been learning to release in my own life. I love the Nester’s phrase of “It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful” and remind myself of it often.
I need the continual reminder, too, Alice! Thanks for commenting!
This is such an important thing to remember. I liked it. Thanks for sharing. I needed to hear that. We are not perfect, we have a Savior for that!! Amen!
I totally tend to fall into the perfectionism trap. The unfortunate thing about it is that I also expect that of others – talk about a let down! It is a revolving door of unhappiness. Thank you for your truth in this post. I Loved this – “When in doubt, we may err on the side of love.” From your second biggest cheerleader of faith
Thanks for your comments, Kelly. I appreciate your honesty. This is a work in progress for me. When I can learn to let go, I find so much more joy. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! 🙂
Oh my! You cut me to the quick! As a recovering “soft” sufferer of OCD, I somehow convinced myself that I didn’t have a problem anymore. Enter eye-opening BLOG POST for you!! 😉 Thanks friend! I’ll start paying more attention to that again! This was the “Aha” statement: “Perfectionism will ruin our Holiday. Perfectionism pushes people away from us — it does not draw them closer.” Glad to “linkUp” with you! 🙂
*from*
Thanks for sharing. I am only able to write about since “it takes one to know one.” I am in recovery myself. 🙂 The more I have let go, the more I have been able to find joy both for myself and for the people around me. It’s a work in progress, though!
Such truth! As I mature I am realizing that my perfectionism affects everyone…none more than my children Good tips to meditate on. Blessing friend! Visiting from Kelly’s link-up!
Thanks so much for your visit. Really good point about how much it affects our children — both in the moment and I am coming to realize in the long-term as well. I don’t want my kids to grow up putting pressure on themselves in the same ways I have done at times. I hope I can show them there is more freedom to be had!