Comments on: Good Enough

By: cmae

cmae — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:14:59 +0000

My therapist has a sign in her office that says, “Perfection is a flawed concept.” It’s amazing how perfectionism can creep into our attitudes without us even knowing it!

By: mal

mal — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:53:24 +0000

This was a particularly powerful post for me today and I am thankful to you for writing it!

By: Stella

Stella — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:34:50 +0000

Am I certainly glad to have stumbled across your blog, and more specifically this post. I have a terrible problem with perfectionism when it comes to myself, and that dreaded “all or nothing” thinking. I have wasted so much time and energy abusing myself for my shortcomings, when it could have been saved for something more productive. This is good encouragement to keep trying to wear down that cruel, critical voice in my head.

Thank you for your honesty and sharing!

By: LoserIrene

LoserIrene — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 16:47:41 +0000

Truer words have never been spoken.

By: justoofat

justoofat — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:19:34 +0000

sarahemc2: Sarah, holidays of any stripe are, I find anyway, fraught with traps in which I usually get caught. Good for you for staying strong. Bacon and pancakes are, in my opinion, pretty tough to resist. :) suzanne: Thank you for your kind words. Reading that article was an eye opener for me, I'm glad I could pass it on. pantrypuff: Good for you, girl! Keep up the good fight! cammy: One of the biggest factors in my own success has been the shift in focus to being “better” rather than the “best.” Little things add up, and more quickly than you ever dreamed. :) All I can do is nod, Cammy. You always have such a wise and level headed way of putting things. I think I need to start wearing a bracelet that reads WWCD? What Would Cammy Do? ;) Paola: Paola, I took the perfectionist test and got a 67%!!! Ack! *smile* Frankly, the fact that you always strive to do what is right, and always deeply consider the things you share with others are just a couple of the reasons why I find your advice/council so valuable. Krissie: Gosh, I like the whole "allowing myself something I really want on the weekend" thing. I've been thinking about this concept a lot lately and may decide to do a one day a week splurge kind of thing. I think it's important not to feel deprived... at least for me, anyway. Otherwise, I end up resenting my healthy choices and that can't be good. K: Very well put! Thank you! :) DR: I have trouble keeping up with the statistics of all of this. I need an administrative assistant to help me crunch the numbers. That said, I know I've been successful, it's just the consistency part that's been tough for me. I think I can let go of perfect if I could just be a bit more consistent. cardiogirl: The other mindset change I have had is how I look at food. I view every meal as an opportunity to start anew. In the past I would tell myself I was on a diet and if I blew it, I would go nuts for the next couple of days. Then I would wait until Monday to start a new diet. Wow.. what an incredibly wise way to look at it. New meal = new start. I like it! Good luck to you! everyone: I'm humbled by all of your kind words. Knowing that something I said might be helpful to you all is amazing to think about. Thank you so much for being so supportive. I value and depend on each of you so much. j

By: Bonnie

Bonnie — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:37:36 +0000

Such a great post and so very true. I am a perfectionist in most every other part of my life and not my body. Kind of ironic, I guess. I confess, I am one of those all or nothing type girls. If I screwed up one day, I would throw the whole week in. I think that’s why I am still around now though is I have reformed my thinking. I don’t really know how I did that but I did. Granted, I am not seeing the losses on the scale, but everyday I continue to try.

I will probably also save this post….kudos!

By: Olivia

Olivia — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 04:03:44 +0000

Thank you for this post. It came at a time that I really needed it. Again, thank you. :)

By: Jenny

Jenny — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:00:24 +0000

This post may well end up on the fridge, some great thoughts to start the day with.

By: Megan

Megan — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:28:06 +0000

Wow, that totally hit the nail on the head. But I’m always so afraid that if I allow myself an inch, I’ll take a mile. It is definately a very difficult balance.

By: cardiogirl

cardiogirl — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:45:19 +0000

I have found that to be absolutely true: I get into a certain mind set (I will do 45 minutes on the elliptical trainer today or NOTHING) and then it’s easy to say no to that.

So I have tried to implement the change you’re suggesting and have found it to be very helpful.

The other mindset change I have had is how I look at food. I view every meal as an opportunity to start anew. In the past I would tell myself I was on a diet and if I blew it, I would go nuts for the next couple of days. Then I would wait until Monday to start a new diet.

What I have realized is that sometimes, in the middle of the day, I want three chocolate chip cookies. So I eat them and enjoy them. Then at the next meal, I try to eat right.

I find there is no guilt in eating those cookies, because I wanted them, I enjoyed them and I am back on the wagon, as they say, at the next meal.

That one change in thinking has been so helpful to me.