Color Me a Perfectionist

(CARLSBAD, CA) – Women and perfectionism. It’s as common as hamburgers and fries or salt and pepper. Something has infiltrated the mind of the modern woman, pressuring her to be the perfect employee, wife, mother, friend, homemaker, and humanitarian.

As women, we tend to hold ourselves to unbelievable standards from cooking gourmet meals to looking brilliant in the newest fashions to escalating our way up the corporate ladder at lightning pace. It’s exhausting!

What’s worse is that perfectionism can also take a physical toll on women. The Mayo Clinic reports that the stress induced from a perfectionist nature can increase a woman’s risk of heart disease and other fatal illnesses. Perfectionism, and the need to never let anyone down, can make a woman mentally, emotionally, and physically sick.

What if you decided to take a break from being perfect? What if you decided not to meet the needs of every single person in your path, and to simply focus on a few people and things that really matter to you? Wouldn’t it be liberating?

Jazzercise Founder and CEO Judi Sheppard Missett knows what it’s like to juggle a demanding schedule, both at work and at home. She suggests letting yourself off the hook in the unending need to be perfect, with these small changes in your life:

• Take a breather. For the next week, or even for the next month, refrain from any self-improvement projects. Don’t beat yourself up about improving your looks, your personality, or your habits. Just take a season of rest.

• Make a mistake. Find something that you can do less than perfect. That’s right! Make an intentional slip up. Take an extra day to reply to an e-mail, or arrive five minutes later than planned with your party appetizers. You may just discover that the world is still turning, despite your imperfection.

• Learn to say “no!” It’s impossible to be all things to all people. If you spend your days attempting to never let anyone down, then you’ll inevitably rob yourself of downtime and serenity. So, choose the people and projects that are dearest to your heart, and just say “no” to the others.

• Celebrate your accomplishments. Take a few moments each day, or at least each week, to reflect upon what you have accomplished. Then, give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done!

So, maybe you can’t cook Chicken Tetrazzini per the standards of Rachel Ray. And maybe your days at the gym don’t give you Eva Longoria’s legs in your little black dress. So what? Your goal is simply to be the best you that you can be.

Jazzercise, created by Judi Sheppard Missett, is the world's leading dance-fitness program with more than 7,200 instructors teaching 32,000 classes weekly in the U.S. and around the globe. Since 1969, millions of people of all ages and fitness levels have reaped the benefits of this comprehensive program, designed to enhance cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility. For more information on Jazzercise go to jazzercise.com or call (800)FIT-IS-IT or (760)476-1750.

Courtesy of Jazzercise, Inc. - jazzercise.com