Wake Me Up: Morning Positivity - Morning Motivation to Release Perfectionism | Unleash Your Potential

Episode Date: November 29, 2022

This morning, let go of the limitations of a perfectionist mindset. Find inspiration to care less and do more. Enjoying Wake Me Up? Get ad-free access to the entire WMU catalog + bonus content by joining the WMU Premium Feed. Sign up and start your 7-day free trial at https://wakemeup.supercast.com/. Follow the show on Spotify - Apple Podcasts - Amazon - Podchaser Say hi or request an episode at www.wakemeuppodcast.com/contact. See visual guides for the yoga and stretches in WMU episodes at www.wakemeuppodcast.com/stretches. And find the podcast on Instagram and TikTok. **Only partake in the physical movements suggested in Wake Me Up episodes if you are physically able and in safe surroundings. All movements are done at the individual's own risk. Be safe, and always consult a doctor if you have any questions or concerns.** Have a wonderful day 😃 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you'd like to enjoy Wake Me Up completely ad-free and get access to exclusive bonus content, check out the link in the show notes for the Wake Me Up premium feed. Hey there, and welcome to Wake Me Up. I'm Tyler, your host, and I'm so thrilled that you're here. We're back today for a motivational bit on this week's theme of letting go of perfectionism. It's such an important topic because, friends, life isn't perfect. It was never meant to be. But we so often place impossible standards on ourselves.

When we try to be perfect, we take away the freedom to be our true selves. On the other hand, when we accept that we're not perfect, we're able to find a greater sense of fulfillment and enjoyment in life because we can just be ourselves naturally and authentically without any pressure or judgment. And most often, letting go of perfectionism allows us to grow even farther

than we otherwise would. But before we dive in, just pause for one moment. Take a deep breath in and fill all the way into your belly. And then exhale in a long, drawn-out breath. And as you do that, release any judgments or expectations

you have about this moment, this day, or your own life, release that clenched jaw or fist, that desire you might have to just force things to happen the way you want them to. Everything you've experienced in life up until now is exactly as it was meant to be. It's brought you here, put you in a place where you can succeed, or where you can do the things that you dream to do. So relax.

But leave in yourself. There's nothing to grasp at, and there's nothing to be desperate for. You've got everything you need. Feel free to go about your morning routine, whether that's making coffee, having a stretch, going for a walk, whatever it is you like to do. And while you do that,

let's talk about letting go of perfectionism. First of all, where does perfectionism even come from? Well, it starts by placing our self-worth on our successes and achievements. There's evidence that perfectionism is a trauma response from childhood, based in the belief that we have to be perfect to get love and approval. To some degree, it seems we all have a bit of a perfect. perfectionist within us. We've all had moments where we criticize ourselves for not knowing something or doing something better when there's no way we could have even known otherwise. And on top of that,

comparison can lead us to put more pressure on ourselves, especially in the age of social media when we're exposed to the curated aspects of other people's lives more frequently. It's important to recognize when we're spending too much time comparing so that we can take a step back and keep everything in perspective. We all know that perfection is impossible. Yet many of us still hold ourselves to impossibly high standards. The problem is if we expect to be perfect or even near perfect, we are likely, if not guaranteed, to be disappointed.

will never really feel fulfilled. So we've got to learn to release our expectations. Perfectionism is a learned coping mechanism, and perfectionists use their achievements as a way to cope with negative emotions. For example, they may bury themselves in work as a way to avoid the hard stuff in life. But the more you repress negative emotions, the worse off you become,

because suppressed emotions lead to mental and physical distress. The saying goes, if you don't listen to your body whisper, you'll be forced to listen when it screams. So we have to learn to listen to the subtle cues, to know when it's time to let go of something. So what can we do about all of this?

Well, it all starts with awareness. We can use awareness of perfectionism to begin embracing our flaws and mistakes. This leads to freedom because it gives us permission to be our true authentic selves. The author James Salter said, there is no real beauty without some slight imperfection, and there's so much truth in that. It's crucial to understand that true success comes from imperfection. A business is built to provide,

a solution for an unsolved problem, and very rarely do they get it exactly right the first time. Getting in shape implies being out of shape before. Friends, life isn't linear. Things are never really going to go as planned, no matter how hard we try. So by letting go of perfectionism, we gain the ability to enjoy the ride, rather than just wait anxiously for the end goal. It helps us to find joy in the small achievements and adapt to changing circumstances. When we enjoy the process like this,

we are far more likely to succeed. Best of all, imperfection is relatable and desirable. If you're watching your favorite musician perform on stage, you don't think any less of them if they mess up. In fact, the best musicians practice is how to mess up because they know they're going to make a mistake, and their ability to roll with it makes the concert more memorable. Another great example is comedians.

Think of the funniest person you know. They probably share their imperfections all the time. They're real and raw. That's what makes you laugh and what makes you love them. So my friends, be silly, be messy, be flawed. Let go of the idea that being imperfect makes you any less worthy. It's very much the opposite. Imperfection is what draws people towards each other.

Being imperfect is what makes life worth living. It gives us a reason to learn and a reason to grow. And life would be really dull if we were all perfect. If you think about it, there's no such thing as a perfect movie camera. They always have flaws, and that's what builds a good plot, character development. Best of all, embracing imperfection allows us to enjoy the journey of life. So don't wait to achieve your goals to be happy. Don't wait for tomorrow or next month or next year to be fulfilled.

Enjoy today. Enjoy right now, just as you are. deep in the process of becoming the best version of yourself. Where you are is exactly where you're supposed to be. In the words of the great Billy Joel, you can't be everything you want to be before your time. So let go of the judgments towards yourself and others. When you see someone make a mistake or do something you don't agree with,

try to see their point of view and have a little compassion. And when you find that you're in the throes of self-criticism, take a step back and give yourself some grace. Start with a good laugh at yourself for being the imperfect human that you are. At the end of the day, it's freeing to just have a good chuckle at this crazy thing we call life. And to not take everything so seriously. Well, that's all for today's episode. I'm so grateful that you chose to join me here today.

I hope you're feeling free and excited to go chase your dreams. We'll be back tomorrow for a series of affirmations designed to help you let go of perfectionism even more. So I hope to see you then. For now, go out and have an absolutely fantastic day.