Are you caught in a never-ending cycle of striving for perfection, only to feel perpetually dissatisfied and overwhelmed? If yes, you’re not the only one stuck in this unhealthy loop.
Be it students aiming for unrealistically high grades or adults striving to achieve improbable professional growth – almost everyone is trying to achieve perfectionism in whatever they do. While it is good to have high standards, it is high time that everyone learns the difference between setting realistic and unrealistic expectations.
The quest for perfectionism is a soul-crushing and daunting journey, which is why we at Excelsior American School, one of the best schools in Gurgaon, don’t recommend it to students, parents, teachers, and everyone else. We follow a better approach to help students and teachers achieve incredible goals that don’t make them feel exhausted. The approach is all about setting realistic expectations. When you embrace realistic expectations and start working towards them, your growth becomes enjoyable, sustainable, and fruitful.
We recommend making a mindset shift from running behind perfectionism to setting realistic expectations. If you make this shift, you can experience the following benefits:
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Embracing Imperfection as a Catalyst for Growth
Perfectionism often stems from the need for external validation and a fear of failure. When you strive for perfectionism, you start stifling creativity and hindering personal growth. But when you choose realistic expectations over perfectionism, you allow yourself to make mistakes and learn from them.
For example, think of an artist who obsesses over every brushstroke and is never satisfied with his work. When he accepts that not every brushstroke can be flawless, he opens doors for experimentation and personal style, leading to artistic growth. The same applies to everyone trying to achieve perfectionism in their work field. If you want to grow holistically and truly, consider sticking to realistic expectations.
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Cultivating Mental Well-being through Self-Compassion
Too much obsession with perfectionism can take a toll on your mental health. It will eventually lead to anxiety, increased stress, and low self-esteem – none of which is good for your mental and emotional health. For example, if students start putting excessive pressure on themselves to achieve top grades but fail to achieve the desired results, they will begin experiencing feelings of unworthiness and inadequacy.
This is one of the prime reasons why we at Excelsior American School encourage students to stick to realistic expectations over perfectionism, as the former is vital for maintaining a healthy overall well-being. Students who follow realistic expectations experience less stress, develop a healthy perspective, and hold a positive self-image.
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Maintaining Healthy Relationships
If you try to become a perfectionist, you may unknowingly start expecting the same from others, which can strain relationships and lead to constant dissatisfaction. If you run behind perfectionism, you may develop unrealistic expectations from others. Such instances often lead to disappointment, resentment, and extreme sadness.
Instead of looking for a perfect relationship, people should accept that no relationship is perfect and equal efforts are needed from both ends to make any relationship work. This realization can only come if you start setting realistic expectations. Giving up perfectionism for realistic expectations is the best way to maintain healthy relationships with people you love and want in your life.
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Celebrating Achievements and Progress
We at Excelsior American School do not promote perfectionism because it often fixates on the end result, dismissing the journey and progress made along the way. Shifting the mindset from perfectionism to realistic expectations enables people to acknowledge and celebrate one’s efforts and accomplishments, increasing motivation and self-confidence.
For example, when parents celebrate their kid’s efforts and improvements rather than demanding flawless performance, kids feel encouraged to persevere in the face of challenges. Acknowledgment of progress and growth also instills a sense of resilience in kids, which can help their overall growth.
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Fostering a Balanced and Fulfilling Life
Perfectionism consumes all our time, energy, and attention, leaving little to no room for other important aspects of our life. If you feel you’re only running behind achieving perfectionism and have stopped living your life to the fullest, we recommend pausing and contemplating this choice. You cannot live a fulfilled life if you keep chasing perfection in all you do.
Instead, embrace realistic expectations, as they help you grow while giving you plenty of time and space to enjoy your life. People should work towards striking a balance in all areas of their life while having a well-rounded existence. And it can only be achieved by giving up perfectionism.
Conclusion
When people choose realistic expectations over perfectionism, they undergo a transformative shift that brings numerous benefits to their life. It helps them navigate life’s challenges with greater resilience and joy. Thus, we at Excelsior American School, recognized among the best schools in Gurgaon, would like to advise everyone reading this blog post that if you want to free yourself or your loved ones from the shackles of perfectionism, start giving importance to realistic expectations. Having said that, we do understand that mindset shifts don’t happen overnight. So, give yourself the time and space for it to happen, and you will soon notice how peaceful your life becomes.
