and finally started to see real progress
Do you have the same useless tendency:
Whenever I want to start a habit or restrict myself from eating more sweets, I tend to eat more and do the opposite.
My mind plays with me because it doesnโt believe in me and Iโll fail.
When I skip a day once negative thoughts crash all over me.
And I know why:
I try to be perfect
When I start a habit, I want to do it daily for the rest of my life.
But this means Iโm not allowed to skip any day. I try to live the perfect life. And I tell you a secret: itโs not possible.
We can plan and prepare as much as weโd like: life is unpredictable and we are humans. We are not perfect.
I recently went to watch an Austrian comedian and he said that no one is perfect. God didnโt make us perfect.
We can get addicted to something that is unhealthy. Our bodies are not perfect. So why are we trying to be?
Whenever I talk about productivity, I remind my audience: we are not machines. We are humans.
- We make mistakes
- We need breaks
- We have bad days
- We can be sick
We tend to think that if we need to be productive, we need to be 100%. No, we donโt!
80% is totally fine!
Having bad days is fine
Life is unpredictable. We are humans.
We will have emergencies or bad days, and thatโs okay.
Itโs okay to skip a day.
You donโt need to be productive when youโre sick and need to recover. Itโs unhealthy to suppress a disease. It can get worse.
Instead of negative thoughts coming up whenever we skip a habit once, we need to accept the imperfection and keep going.
I gave up many habits because I skipped it once and got demotivated. I wrote online in 2018 for a few months but gave up because I skipped some days.
Donโt make the same mistake!
Mindset, beliefs, and thoughts are keeping you from moving on
The first chapter of my online course โUnlocking Productivityโ is about mindset.
Without the right mindset, you cannot be as productive as you want to be. Itโs about the wrong beliefs society instilled in you and your perfectionism trying to keep you from moving forward imperfectly.
Every first step is imperfect.
Simone Biles’s first gymnastics class wasnโt perfect.
Michael Jordanโs first throw wasnโt perfect.
Taylor Swiftโs first song wasnโt perfect.
But they didnโt give up!
They had bad days too, but they overcame their negative thoughts and kept going.
Itโs not about the perfect habit of doing it daily but about doing it consistently and not giving up!
Iโm not writing the perfect stories, but Iโm not giving up, and my writing will get better every day.
Accepting imperfection
Iโm not perfect. I accepted that to move forward with imperfection.
My writing is not perfect. Whose stories are perfect?
When I was a teenager, I didnโt want to accept my introversion and did things I didnโt want to do out of group pressure:
- partying all night long
- going on workshop weekends without any alone time
- โฆ
They were depleting my energy tremendously.
I thought that was life for an introvert: trying to be extroverted and having no energy.
I had to accept that Iโm not an extrovert. Society shows us that only activities outside, exploring the world, and partying with friends are the fun events we live for.
They are not for everyone. And thatโs totally fine.
You can say no to things you donโt like. You do you.
Some friends like to go swimming daily after work to cool down, I prefer to be alone and read or spend it with my boyfriend talking.
After a day at work in an open office, I need time alone.
Growing up, I thought I needed to be an extrovert to be perfect. Iโm not an extrovert. And I accept that now. Iโm being myself, and thatโs imperfectly perfect.
Conclusion
Why are we striving for perfection?
Society and people on social media show you how to be perfect but nobody is. This is not the reality.
Life is imperfect. Thatโs how the universe made us.
So the biggest productivity hack is: stop trying to be perfect.
Itโs a waste of time you spend miserable and doubting yourself.
Accept yourself and build a positive mindset towards you.
Letโs be a little less strict with ourselves!
If youโre not done thinking yetโฆ
Many introverted people tell me this is where they pause.
This short 0โฌ guide helps you move from overwhelm to alignment gently.
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