Real Women. Real Life. Real Finance
Welcome to another Miko’s Moments.
I want to talk about perfectionism today and how much it can hold us back from taking intentional action in our lives.
As I have worked through so many projects and tasks for my business and personal life, I have realized how toxic it can be.
For me, being creative isn’t just part of my business. It’s one of my deepest passions. I feed off it, look for it, and practice it every day. When I am not creating things for The Budget Mom, I am bringing my creativity into the kitchen with my baking, or I am learning new hobbies that I can enjoy for myself that focus on my ability to use my mind and hands to create beautiful things.
When you walk through life holding onto the idea of perfection, you are in a constant state of survival mode. You literally lose certain functions in your brain, one of them being creativity. This has always been a struggle for me.
A perfect example of this is when I wanted to learn how to bake. I saw all of these amazing desserts and baked goods people posted on social media, and I thought to myself, I want to create that. The problem was, it took me over 2-years to get over my fear of failing to start my baking journey. I felt like I didn’t know enough. I wasn’t ready because I was expecting my baking journey to turn out like the picture-perfect creations I saw online.
I had unrealistic high expectations of myself. I found a fault in every cake, cookie, and bread that I created. I procrastinated trying new recipes because I was afraid mine wouldn’t turn out as good as the baker’s who had done it a thousand times. I focused on being perfect over progress.
Perfectionism isn’t just an end result. It’s ultimately the way you view your worth and how you think about yourself.
Even though I gave an example of my baking journey, I know that so many of you deal with perfectionism when it comes to your finances. No creating a budget out of fear you will do it wrong, not attempting to make progress with your finances because you feel like you don’t have all of the pretty tools to start.
You may have heard me say that my word for 2021 is intentional. More importantly, intentional action. I want to focus more on progress and compassion for myself, not perfection. Even I, to this day, still struggle with perfectionism. But I am slowly embracing the process of growing and patting myself on the back for taking the step to just start.
When it comes to your finances (and everything else in your life), you will never reach perfection. Don’t let that stop you from starting, progressing, and growing. Your financial journey's ups and downs are worth it because it gives you a chance to learn. Remember, small steps are still steps in the right direction. Show yourself compassion and grace on your learning journey and throw perfection out the window.
I will be back next week with another Miko’s Moment. Have a beautiful weekend.
