Imperfection and Improvement

Hey everybody, just a real quick post here based on a conversation I had this weekend.

You know, so often we get so caught up in trying to do everything just right, that the slightest slip or error or transgression sends us spiralling down into a self-loathing pile of depression.  Someone trying to quit smoking has a single drag and suddenly, they throw their arms up and say “Screw it, I’ve done it now!”, and go right back to a pack a day.  Someone trying to eat healthy sneaks a single donut and “That’s it!  I’m off the wagon!”  and they start chowing down ice cream by the bucket.

I go on at length about habits and the realities of changing and modifying habits in my book, but let me just give you a quickie little piece of advice-  You don’t have to be perfect.  Just try to do better than you’re doing today.

If your health habits are pitiful (as most Americans’  health habits are), then expecting to turn it all around in a dramatic 180 degree turn and suddenly become a shining beacon of health perfection, day in, day out, for forever and ever is, frankly, freakin’ ridiculous.  Not only are you not going to reach that lofty goal overnight, you may NEVER reach it, depending on how far you have to go.

Don’t set perfection as your goal.  It’s an illusion and a farce and a waste of your time to chase after it.  The great news is, you don’t have to be perfect.  It’s really not necessary in order to live a healthy life.

You can do better than you’re doing today, though. So just focus on that.  What small changes CAN you make, that will stick?  That’s how it’s done, folks, in baby steps.  So forget the stupid TV programs that try to make you think that you have to do some dramatic, “Biggest Loser” type makeover in order to change your life.  That’s crap.  In fact, those are the people who just end up going right back to their old habits in a few weeks after there’s no drill instructor yelling at them in front of the camera.

You don’t have to be perfect, but you can do better than you’re doing today.  So pick a small, manageable change, and make it happen.  Then, when that becomes a natural part of you, pick another.

And stop beating yourself up for not being perfect.  Nobody is.