Have you ever found yourself striving for perfection only to end up feeling more stressed and overwhelmed? It’s something I’ve been reminded of recently – the pressure we put on ourselves to be perfect and achieve everything at once can lead to unnecessary stress. We think we’re being organised and efficient, but often, it just leaves us feeling worse about ourselves.
It might only take one thing going wrong, and suddenly you feel like you’ve failed. Another week gone by, and you just couldn’t do it. You’re exhausted, frustrated, and wondering if you’ll ever get it right.
Whether it’s sticking to a rigid diet, finding time for regular exercise, or trying to be the perfect parent, these high expectations can leave us feeling drained. The irony is, we often set these goals thinking they’ll make us feel better, when they can have the opposite effect.
What Do We Really Want?
At the end of the day, don’t we all just want to feel great, enjoy each day, and be happy? It sounds simple, doesn’t it? Yet, we place so much pressure on ourselves to do everything and do it perfectly.
I’ve noticed over the years that we tend to judge each other more harshly. When someone is excelling and achieving great things, they’re often put on a pedestal. This leads to a cycle where we push ourselves harder to reach that ‘perfect’ place, thinking it will bring us happiness. But in reality, all it brings is more stress, burnout, and less enjoyment of the little things in life.
The last few years for me have been incredibly busy. My business has grown, and from the outside, everything looks great. But from my perspective, I have less time to enjoy what truly matters – my family, friends, and just appreciating the everyday moments.
Finding the Balance
So how do we find balance? I think it starts with understanding what truly makes you happy. What’s your “why”? Why do you do what you do? What brings you joy and makes you feel great?
Once you know your “why,” making decisions and setting priorities becomes easier. For me, my “why” is my family, my friends, and enjoying every day. I love helping others, which is why I’m passionate about my work, but I also need that balance to ensure I make time for what matters most.
Lower Your Expectations
It’s time to lower the bar – just a little. Do you really need to do everything today? Does your house need to be in perfect order? Is it really the end of the world if you have a takeaway night once a week? And if you miss a workout and take the kids to the park instead, is that so bad?
When working with my clients, I always emphasise aiming for consistency, not perfection. Everyone has off days – and that’s okay! It doesn’t make you a failure or a bad person. It doesn’t mean you won’t achieve your goals. It just means you’re human.
We can still achieve our goals, enjoy life, and be happy – but it doesn’t need to happen according to a rigid timeline.
The Power of Consistency Over Perfection
One of the things I love about working with my online personal training clients is the relationship we build. I don’t think the real value comes from the specific training or nutrition plans I provide – it’s the support I offer each week to help them keep going.
Our goals are simple. Each week, we focus on getting just a little bit better. What habit can we work on this week? We look at their lifestyle, what’s realistic for them, and make gradual progress from there.
Many people start out thinking they need to train every day or even twice a day to get results. But the reality is, when they’re barely doing anything at all, trying to go extreme often backfires. Clients are often surprised when their plan only includes a few sessions a week to start with. The truth is, anything you’re doing needs to be realistic and achievable. If you set yourself a baseline goal and treat anything above that as a bonus, you’ll set yourself up for success.
Be Realistic About Your Goals
If you’re looking to lose weight or get fit, be realistic. If you’ve been doing nothing, aim for three sessions a week to start and keep a food diary to track your progress. Once you’re comfortably hitting those three sessions, you can add more. But avoid going to extremes and adding unnecessary pressure. Sometimes, people put so much pressure on themselves to achieve a certain level of exercise that they end up burnt out and craving junk food to keep going.
Remember, your goal is to feel better, not to be perfect.
Consistency is Key
Strive for consistency, not perfection. I’ve never, ever trained someone who was perfect. You can check out every one of our success stories, and not one of those clients were perfect. The key to their success was simply that they kept going, no matter what.
Embrace Imperfection
Personally, I’m lowering my expectations of what I can achieve in a single day. I’m learning to schedule in enjoyable activities each day because they are just as important, if not more important, than ticking off all those jobs. You may actually find that you’re more productive when you have balance in your life.
Life is short, and it should be enjoyed. So, whatever you’re doing, make sure you’re enjoying the journey.
💗Hilds
