Many times we fail, or we hurt our own feelings due to the pressure we place on ourselves. We constantly strive for perfection trying to meet our own unrealistic expectations. This leads to stress, fear of failure, anxiety and self blame.
I’ve been learning the hard way, applying unnecessary pressure on myself, against my own unrealistic timelines. Like many of you, when God places a vision in my lap, I become overly eager to achieve. It‘s always frustrating, and unexpected when there’s a detour along your route.
I was watching one of my favorite pastors on instagram Steven Furtick. He mentioned something interesting in his sermon.
Who told you that life had to be perfect to have a praise?
Who told you that it took something EXTRA for your work to be accepted?
Did God tell you that?
I find it easier when your goals are just thoughts, but when it’s within reach we tend to overthink. We start out doing it God’s way, but the closer we get to accomplishment, the quicker we begin to turn up the heat on ourselves. We then begin doing it our way, as if someone is rushing us to the finish, causing pressure that was not intended to be.
1.It’s simple, Nobody’s perfect, stop beating yourself up. Just because the vision in your mind looks flawless, doesn’t mean the process to produce the vision will be smooth sailing. There will be times where your vision will need revisions, but its not a time to become frustrated or defeated.
If you’re only looking at where you’ve failed, and not crediting yourself for how far you’ve come,then you are applying too much pressure on yourself.
2.Effort counts for something, there is power in your try. If you set the standards too high for yourself, and then become frustrated when your vision doesn’t meet your reality, you’re applying too much pressure. Don’t let your failures stop you from trying. Remember, even if you can’t see the results in front of you, know that your consistent efforts are contributing to your success. Cut yourself some slack.
3.Stop Judging yourself. Many times we have the ability to pour into others, but we never reciprocate it for ourselves. We tend to only believe accomplishment for others, but when it’s our turn to succeed we self sabotage our growth with the perfectionist approach. Be your own best friend, show yourself compassion through the unknown. If you never feel satisfied, release the pressure from yourself.
4.Live in the moment, trust the process. Focusing on your “Right Now” will help decrease the feeling of overwhelm, stress and anxiety. These mental blocks will easily consume you when your constantly focused on outcomes. With every process comes knowledge. If it were meant for us to know or have it all, we would miss out on the experiences that have shaped us. Be present in the moment, so that you can document the steps to your success. We can only continue to build by learning from the process.
We place pressure on ourselves by constantly wanting more, rather than investing in what we have. We focus on what we’ve done wrong, rather than what we’ve gotten right. We downplay our achievements by focusing on what we could have done better, rather than celebrating the work we’ve put in.
Celebrate the small wins, be patient with yourself, and know that the journey is yours.
~K.Shelton ❤️