Perfection is not what we strive for here. Perfection is a fragile thing. It can break easily and leave us empty handed. Instead, we embrace imperfection as a part of the process and expect it. This way, we are never derailed by slight deviations to the program.
It’s easy for small mistakes and setbacks to feel catastrophic if your goal is be perfect every day. These “imperfect” scenarios can cause stress and anxiety, and it can be difficult to want to keep working on your nutrition when you feel like you’ve already failed.
That’s why we like to say that moderation and consistency are the key to a good nutrition program. We believe in allowing yourself some deviations from the norm. And when those deviations come along, we want you to be able to breeze past them without feeling like you’ve failed.
There are a few strategies that you can use to make sure that you can get right back on the path to your goals.
Set Reasonable Expectations
Perfection is not a reasonable expectation in the first place. And in striving to reach it we often overly restrict ourselves by cutting out all desserts or never drinking a glass of wine.
Instead, set smaller goals that will allow you to enjoy your experiences. For example, set the goal of having one dessert on the weekend instead of ice cream every night. Choose to drink a glass of wine with a meal that includes plenty of lean protein and vegetables.
This will help get you away from the “all or nothing” mentality, as well as help develop healthy habits instead of restrictive ones.
Celebrate Accomplishments
When we strive for perfection, we often pass over all of the amazing achievements made along the way.
You’d be surprised how many small accomplishments you make every day. Hitting your macros, drinking 100oz of water, and having a productive training session are all things that you can accomplish in just one day.
Throughout your nutrition and fitness journey, you should celebrate all the wins along the way, rather than just waiting to reach your big goal.
Accept that you Can’t Control Everything
Sometimes circumstances change and are out of your control. If perfection is your goal, you’ll likely feel crippled in this type of situation and resort to giving up.
When plans go down the drain and you won’t be able to round out your macros for the day, try to focus on making the best decision you can with what you’ve got.
Being able to pull yourself out of this type of situation will help you prove to yourself that you can regain control when things seem to be out of your hands. And you can show yourself that in an “imperfect” situation you can still come out on top and continue progressing towards your goals.
However you end up doing it, embracing imperfection is one of the easiest ways to stay on track with your nutrition program. Allowing yourself some deviations and breaks here and there won’t stall your progress. Blowing them out of proportion will. Make sure you know how to overcome small setbacks that may arise so you are able to move forward with your program and you’ll be well on your way to success that you can maintain!
Think you still need some help on overcoming perfectionism? We have knowledgeable nutrition coaches who can set your macro goals and also work with you on all types of mindset shifts through your health and fitness journey!
