Sometimes it's the not the things we need to start doing but the things we need to let go of doing that are holding us back from making progress and moving forward.
1. Stop trying to be perfect.
As women, we have this idea in our head that we need to be superhuman. We strive to be the best mother, most loyal friend, perfect girlfriend/wife, A+ student, and the greatest employee.
On top of that, we also need to have a picture perfect body, fit into those jean shorts we wore in college, cook a healthy meal every night, never eat sweets after 7 p.m. and eat perfectly 24/7. We put an insane amount of pressure on ourselves to "get it all right."
The thing is... no one is meant to be perfect in any area of life -- whether it's eating, relationships, personal growth, healthy habits, your career, etc. In a "perfect" world, everything is stagnant. There is no growth and no evolution. It is only through mistakes, trail and error, and experimentation that we learn and grow.
To allow yourself to make a mistake -- whether it's messing up your food plan, getting into a fight with a family member, or realizing your work isn't satisfying -- this is how you learn, incorporate feedback, and chart a new course.
Plus, striving for perfection is EXHAUSTING. Letting go, even just a little, can release that heavy burden we all carry from wanting to always do everything at 150 percent.
2. Stop being so critical.
This is a big one. We tend to be so so so hard on ourselves and never cut ourselves any slack. This critical nature permeates how we view everything: how we perform in our jobs, how we relate to people, and how we see our bodies. Especially how we see our bodies.
We don't give ourselves credit for a job well done (we could have done better), don't celebrate our small milestones (we should have achieved more), and agonize over every flaw in the mirror (we must lose 10 pounds by summer).
But, what if, just for once, we let ourselves be enough?
What if we gave ourselves permission to acknowledge that, at our core, we are doing the best we can at any given moment, even if it's not perfect? Relax into knowing that you don't need to be anything more than you already are. Believing this can bring about so much more freedom and ease into your life.
3. Stop comparing yourself to others.
In this day and age of social media, the whole "comparing thing" has gotten out of control. We are inundated daily with reminders, photos, and status updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram where we see only the glossy, happy parts of life.
We see friends' baby pics, gorgeous new houses, and "perfect" lives and we feel like we need to be farther along than where we are. Just take a glance at your social media account, and you see images of your coworker's "best vacation ever," your friend's "perfect" bikini body snapshot, and a group of close pals all out, smiling, having the most amazing night. And then you compare your life to theirs.
But it's just a split second of their lives that you see. Social media only gives us a glimpse, a snapshot in time. It's deceiving and we never truly know the whole story.
We are so good at putting on the facade that everything is "fine," and we can never accurately assess what someone is dealing with just by looking at them. Remember that someone who looks put together does not mean they are not dealing with something bigger beneath the surface.
You can never compare your inside with someone else's outside
As you go through your day, be aware of which of these three things you need to let go and release, so you CAN live a happier, more joyous life!
If you want to let go of being so critical of your body, release the perfectionism around eating, and live a happier life free from obsessing over food, c'mon over and visit jennhand.com.