The Perils of Perfection
Have you ever found yourself starting a new diet or recommitting to one and feeling so motivated… right up to the point that you eat something off your plan and end up stopping everything?
If so, you are not alone! Weight loss is the realm where perfectionism is so rampant and does so much harm. We develop black or white thinking from an early age. People are either “on a diet” or “off a diet”. We are either “being good” or “cheating”.
Some may wonder why holding yourself to a high standard is wrong. If you have a big goal you are striving for, isn’t it best to follow the plan perfectly?
The problem is that perfectionism opens the door for your brain to create arguments to give up all together. It makes anything short of being perfect seem like failure and none of us like to fail!
Consistent is Better than Perfection
Big change happens not through being perfect but through consistency. Small changes, if done consistently, add up to big results.
If we use what we eat as an example, the biggest error I see people make is assuming they will only lose weight if they follow their plan perfectly. The reality is this sets them up for big swings in behaviour.
Sometimes they are very careful and other times they are not focussed on their plan at all because of this black and white thinking. This leads to a lot of emotional turmoil but also slows weight loss. Those times of being “off plan” can add up significantly in a very short time and the times of being “on plan” may not be enough to tip the balance in favour of weight loss.
What I recommend is focussing on “Consistently being Consistent”. This is a mantra I use a lot when trying to change a behaviour. It reminds me that I don’t have to be perfect right out of the gate but I can build change through being consistent.
It feels a lot easier to expect consistency of yourself than perfection!
So how do you make consistency work for you? Choose one thing you would like to do consistently. How often are you going to do it? How will you remind yourself? Then start doing it. When those thoughts inevitably start about how this won’t be enough, ignore them and remind yourself that you are just “Consistently being Consistent”.
Once the initial behaviour is happening consistently without too much thought, choose another change you want to make consistently.
And keep going. Each time you do a behaviour is like drops filling a bucket. You get enough drops, and your bucket can even over flow.
Embrace the power of Consistency!
For more tips about using consistency in your weight loss, listen to this week’s episode below.
You can change your most difficult habits
Coaching with me will teach you how to apply changes consistently to change any habit. Stop emotional eating? Check. Feel in control on your eating at social events? Yes! Lose weight without relying on willpower? Absolutely. Click below to schedule your free introductory session to find out how I can help you.
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