The Gifts of Imperfection…
If you attended my webinar on February 11, I apologize for the technical difficulties with the sound resulting in very low volume. The issue was resolved and the sound quality is much improved on the replay, which you can access by clicking here: “Employees – Your Greatest Asset or Biggest Liability?” I am currently taking Brene Brown’s online course named after the title of her book: “The Gifts of Imperfection,” and I now see this situation with my webinar as an opportunity to put the concepts from this course into practice. My old “perfectionist” self would have gotten very stressed out and upset by the sound issues. Not only that, but there was a typo in my email address which we didn’t catch until the webinar was live. This would have totally put me over the edge several months ago. I would have been all-consumed with what other people thought of me. Now I am less concerned about what other people think of me and more concerned with what I think of and tell myself. I still have a lot of work to do, but I am also getting better at letting go of things I can’t control. Rather than getting all worked up over something I can’t do anything about, I am choosing to not let it get to me or cause me to believe that I am inadequate.
In The Gifts of Imperfection, Brene Brown talks about perfectionism being a self-destructive pattern of pleasing, performing and perfecting. It’s self-destructive because it’s not attainable – there is no such thing as “perfect.” Perfectionism is not about self-improvement; it’s about being “perceived as being perfect” and being preoccupied with what other people will think of us. We can overcome perfectionism by being more compassionate with ourselves, embracing our imperfections, and asking how we can improve instead of beating ourselves up for not being perfect. My new “imperfect” self knows that mistakes happen and focuses on what I can do to move forward: apologize, send out the improved replay, and move on instead of dwelling on it.
I am also choosing to focus more on the positive aspects such as accomplishing a feat that I was scared of and thought I could never do. That’s a more meaningful victory than a “flawless performance.” It’s better to get out there and share an imperfect product that people can experience and gain value from than to have a perfect product that no one ever sees. I view every challenge as a learning opportunity, and this experience has truly been a “gift of imperfection.”
“It is in the process of embracing our imperfections that we find our truest gifts: courage, compassion, and connection.” – Brene Brown
“A moment of self-compassion can change your entire day. A string of such moments can change the course of your life.” – Christopher K. Germer