Oftentimes, way more than I should, I catch myself trying to be the best at everything I do. A new hobby, a school assignment, pretty much anything I set my hands on, I want to do perfectly. A single mistake or a small error ultimately could ruin the entire experience for me, and I start to question my judgment and whether I even deserve to be taking a shot at the task I’m doing. But gradually, I’ve come to learn that perfectionism is not always achievable. As much as many of us would like to become Da Vinci when painting even our first portraits, it simply cannot be that easy. So, are we not talented enough? What about the others, who are so amazing at everything they do? Why can’t we be perfect enough?
And that, my friends, is betrayal. Perfectionism is a lie. Unfortunately, society has made it hard to survive otherwise. Everywhere we go, everything we see seems to be a myriad of perfection. The posts on Instagram? Perfect, flawless models. The grades other students get? All As, while we seem to slip up with our Bs. The expectations put on our shoulders are burdensome, and it seems as if you have to be born with “talent,” or else you’re considered worthless. You have to be a prodigy from birth or a genius from your first day; you simply have to be perfect. And that’s wrong.
You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to be the best at everything. Sure, it wouldn’t hurt to be the prime of everything you do, but it’s more fantastical to think that it could be possible. Everyone has their occasional slip-ups. Everyone has to start from ground zero. No one is born perfect at the top. And while it may be really hard to come to terms with your imperfections, it will always be harder to remain perfect throughout your journey. What you can do—though slightly vague and overused—is practice. I’ve always heard the phrase, “practice makes perfect,” and although I used to get annoyed by it, I’ve realized over time how true it really is. The little, consistent efforts you put into doing your tasks over time will lead to your perfection. And always remember, everything is a learning process. No matter how good you may be at something, there’s always something more you can learn and improve on.
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Cover Photo by Jonathan Hoxmark on Unsplash