How Chasing Perfection Can Damage Your Mental Health Journey
Takeaways:
- Expecting too much of yourself can result in frustration when you don’t reach your goals as expected.
- When you feel frustrated by your lack of progress or inability to achieve perfection, you may stop trying for fear of failure.
- Setting smaller, achievable goals is the key to success. Instead of expecting perfection every moment, remember that showing up is the first step.
Goal Setting & Motivation
Goal setting is not a new concept — it’s a part of every stage of life. Whether you’re focused on getting great grades in school or getting that promotion, you’ll find that there’s always something to strive for. However, goal setting and motivation during your mental health journey can be a little more complicated.
If you’ve ever found yourself frustrated at your lack of progress or you want to quit because of one setback, it may be time to re-evaluate your goal-setting process. Take a look at this guide from the team at Ascend to learn more about goal setting and motivation, how to set better self-love goals, and what it takes to stay committed on the path to better mental health.
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Understand That It’s Not About Perfection
Nobody is perfect. If you expect perfection from yourself, you’ll always feel like you’re constantly disappointed. Every time you encounter a new obstacle or mistake, you tie these negative feelings to your self-worth, eventually losing motivation to continue working toward better mental health.
It’s crucial that you understand that mistakes are a part of your mental health journey. When it comes to goal setting and motivation, you’ll need to anticipate setbacks and make space for yourself to radically accept that the all-or-nothing mindset just won’t work.
On days that you feel like you just can’t fulfill whatever goal you set for yourself, have a backup plan. Did you indulge in some negative self-talk? That’s OK! Say some nice things to yourself in the mirror or write down a few compliments to rewire those moments. Did you have a plan to hit the gym as part of your self-love goals? If you just can’t make yourself go, head out for a walk or do a few jumping jacks at home.
As long as you’re doing something to put in the work and move forward toward your goals, you should be proud of your progress.
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Set Achievable Goals
You don’t expect yourself to head out and run a marathon with no training! Why would you expect yourself to achieve perfect mental health without any practice? Balance your goal setting and motivation by starting small. Make your goals challenging, but still achievable in your current mindset. After you’ve managed to fully integrate smaller habits, you can move on to larger ideas that will result in more impactful changes.
Here are a few beginner ideas to get you started:
- Meditate for five minutes three times per week
- Start a journal to write down your thoughts
- Say three nice things every time you talk negatively to yourself
You’ll soon see that even these small changes can make a big difference!
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Celebrate The Little Things
Did you manage to meditate every day for the entire week? Did you finally open up about something traumatic to a therapist or friend? These are wins that deserve celebration. Whether the goal you achieved is big or small, you should always acknowledge your success before moving on to a bigger goal.
One of the keys to consistent goal-setting motivation is recognizing every win and rewarding yourself for it. Maybe that means getting a sweet treat with your family or buying a new sticker for your water bottle. However you celebrate your wins is up to you — just make sure you’re being mindful about all the little steps it takes to reach big moments!
Less Pressure, More Positivity
At Ascend, we understand that pressuring yourself can actually derail your goal-setting motivation. Find a community that can support your needs every step of the way when you discuss mental healthcare with our admissions team. Discover varying levels of care to suit your needs, including residential treatment in California and Colorado, as well as virtual intensives in outpatient programs.
Have questions? Reach out to our team to learn more about how Ascend can help you.
