Reinvent-tage Retreat Day 5

Today's Intention...let go of perfection...




the perfection of nature...



inspires all who take the time to see it...


perfection is the turtle who poses for a photo...

I felt compelled to address the perfect pot from yesterday...When I counsel artists on art business issues, I always tell them there is no such thing as man-made perfection...ever! And everyone has a different idea of perfect...so aim for excellence in all you do...not perfection. Going for perfection only sets you up for failure.

A Google search resulted in about 44,000,000 websites for perfection...Perfectionism refers to a set of self-defeating thoughts and behaviors aimed at reaching excessively high unrealistic goals. Perfectionism is often mistakenly seen in our society as desirable or even necessary for success. However, recent studies have shown that perfectionist's attitudes actually interfere with success. The desire to be perfect can both rob you of a sense of personal satisfaction and cause you to fail to achieve as much as people who have more realistic strivings.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do you feel like what you accomplish is never quite good enough?


• Do you often put off doing your art, waiting to get it just right?


• Do you feel you must give more than 100 percent on everything you do or else you will be mediocre or even a failure?

A number of the following negative feelings, thoughts, and beliefs may be associated with perfectionism:

• Fear of failure. Perfectionists often equate failure to achieve their goals with a lack of personal worth or value.


• Fear of making mistakes. Perfectionists often equate mistakes with failure. In orienting their lives around avoiding mistakes, perfectionists miss opportunities to learn and grow.


• Fear of disapproval. If they let others see their flaws, perfectionists often fear that they will no longer be accepted. Trying to be perfect is a way of trying to protect themselves from criticism, rejection, and disapproval.


• All-or-none thinking. Perfectionists frequently believe that they are worthless if their accomplishments are not perfect. Perfectionists have difficulty seeing situations in perspective.


• Overemphasis on "shoulds." Perfectionists' lives are often structured by an endless list of "shoulds" that serve as rigid rules for how their lives must be led. With such an overemphasis on shoulds, perfectionists rarely take into account their own wants and desires.


• Believing that others are easily successful. Perfectionists tend to perceive others as achieving success with a minimum of effort, few errors, emotional stress, and maximum self-confidence. At the same time, perfectionists view their own efforts as unending and forever inadequate.

Do you see yourself here?

above information from the Counseling Center at the University of Illinois


Remember Carole of Scoundrels and Rogues...today is her back surgery...