Progress over perfection has change into a preferred saying within the well being and wellness house, however at Lindywell, it’s been a core worth for the reason that very starting. One factor we’ve discovered through the years, nonetheless, is that it may be onerous to let go of self-criticism in our trendy world, the place everybody’s successes are made public. Whats up, comparability, disgrace, and judgment.
Striving for that false notion of perfection, nonetheless, slows you down, pulls you away out of your most genuine self, and leaves you feeling defeated as a rule. When you possibly can shift your focus as a substitute to progress, the expertise and journey change into extra pleasant.
What’s extra, the thought of perfection, properly, it turns into much less necessary.
In the event you’re nonetheless struggling to easy these sharp, important edges, we’ve got a easy however highly effective framework so that you can embrace progress over perfection.
The Six Ideas of Pilates
Whereas there are plenty of methods to embrace the journey, at Lindywell, we discover that Pilates is the most effective instructor. Particularly, the six guiding rules, which break down as follows:
- Focus
- Management
- Breath
- Precision
- Heart
- Stream
Somewhat than striving for perfection, we concentrate on doing it properly, feeling good, and staying linked. This progress-over-perfection strategy is just not at all times the norm within the health trade, significantly on the earth of Pilates.
Right here, we take a extra grace-filled and progress-focused strategy to Pilates and health as a complete, and you are able to do the identical, on and off the mat. Now, let’s see how we will apply these six rules to the thought of progress over perfection.
Embrace Progress Over Perfection With the Six Ideas
Right here’s how you should use these six rules to really embrace progress over perfection, and expertise all of the goodness that this shift can deliver. As at all times, take what resonates and implement what feels good. Not all of those will really feel related to your life, however one or two could also be simply what you want.
Focus
Commit absolutely however stay versatile.
Your wishes and desires ebb and circulate and so your strategy to attaining targets ought to observe swimsuit. To embrace progress over perfection, it is advisable decide to what you want, however do not forget that the best way you get there can evolve together with you.
On this manner, what “perfection” seems to be like shifts as properly. At one time, perfection could have been going to the gymnasium 5 days per week earlier than work. Now, with two children at dwelling, it seems to be like 10 minutes of Pilates two days per week with the Lindywell app.
In each circumstances, you had been dedicated absolutely to what you desired, to really feel nice in your physique, however how you bought there modified as your circumstances shifted. That’s embracing progress over perfection.
Management
Be acutely aware, deliberate, and intentional.
In Pilates, we discuss with controlling your motion. Being intentional and deliberate, shifting slowly and consciously. The identical goes for embracing the progress over perfection mindset. If you concentrate on progress, you focus much less on “getting it proper” and extra on being deliberate as you progress towards what we want.
As an alternative of wishing that what you need would simply be right here already, and getting annoyed when it’s not, you change into extra conscious and in tune with your self. Ask your self questions like, Why am I annoyed? What may I modify to make this really feel simpler or much less hectic? Then take intentional motion primarily based in your trustworthy and genuine solutions.
Breath
Leverage the breath-body connection.
Take into consideration a second if you had been attempting to get the whole lot excellent. You’ll have been speeding round. Your thoughts was most likely racing. You’ll have felt frantic and anxious. You had been centered solely on getting it excellent.
Although chances are you’ll not have realized it on the time, your breath was additionally probably shallow and quick. That is how we breathe after we’re anxious and pressured. One of these respiratory then feeds that very same state of anxious being.
The excellent news is, merely slowing and deepening your respiratory can instantly shift you right into a extra calm and centered state of being. It’s on this state that you could let go of that concept of perfection, and as a substitute, see that being “adequate” is in truth, excellent.
Precision
Do it properly, however at your personal tempo and in your personal manner.
Perfection is a driving power if you really feel the necessity to get one thing proper in accordance with another person’s requirements or due to what another person may suppose. The thought of precision might be utilized to progress over perfection as a reminder that you are able to do it properly, however at your personal tempo and in your personal manner.
For instance, in case your purpose is to make motion part of your common routine to really feel stronger in your physique, doing it properly seems to be like:
- Determining what kind of motion feels good for you and specializing in that.
- Including it into your schedule when it’s possible, quite than forcing it throughout a time that doesn’t give you the results you want, like early within the morning.
- Trusting that your physique will construct energy if you happen to commit—and it might not occur straight away, however within the time that’s best for you.
Doing it your manner, and doing it properly primarily based by yourself requirements, is what progress over perfection is all about.
Heart
Search alignment above all else.
At Lindywell, we begin each exercise with centering. That is necessary if you’re in your mat, however I might argue it’s much more necessary off your mat. In life, you’re surrounded by individuals, experiences, and circumstances that may simply throw you off-center.
If you get out of alignment, you lose sight of what’s best for you. Then it turns into simple to start out specializing in perfection in accordance with somebody or one thing else. If you keep in alignment, it’s simpler so that you can come again to your middle, examine in, let go of “perfection,” and focus again in on what feels good for you in each second.
You should still veer off target, or get distracted by “perfection. If you observe coming again to your middle, nonetheless, like with Pilates, you’ll at all times be capable of get again into your personal alignment.
Stream
Discover yours and let it information you.
Pilates at all times feels unbelievable, however if you happen to’ve practiced even just some instances, you know the way actually juicy it feels if you get into the circulate. In that house, perfection doesn’t matter—what issues is staying linked to that motion and that have.
Discovering this circulate in your life, and letting or not it’s your guiding power, is essential to embracing progress over perfection. The journey feels greatest after we create our personal present and circulate with that, quite than letting another person outline it for us.
Let’s Love the Journey
Striving for perfection is tiring. It additionally retains us disconnected from ourselves and what we actually want, creating anxiousness and stress alongside the best way. Use these methods and concepts to attach again to you, discover your circulate, and concentrate on the journey that’s meant for you. When the journey feels superb, reaching perfection doesn’t matter, as a result of it’s already nice the place you’re.
