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The Closeted Perfectionist
Have you ever had that experience where it feels like the universe is trying to beat you over the head with something? Yeah, I’ve had a few of those in my life, and the last week or so has been no different. Apparently I’m a little slow on the up-take and need constant reinforcement. This weeks universal lesson was about letting go of that little nasty little gremlin called Perfectionism. If you’d called me a perfectionist a week ago I would have laughed my guts out! I’m usually operating somewhere between slightly organized chaos and a complete nervous breakdown, but apparently there’s a perfectionist hiding deep down inside…who knew?
It took me over a week, and a session with my own coach, to realize that I’ve been beating myself up for not being a “perfect” coach for my clients. The crazy part is, there’s no such thing as a perfect coach!!! Coaching is a messy and often uncomfortable process because it’s real, and raw, and deeply personal. As a coach if you’re aiming for perfect that means you’re not getting into the mess with your client, and you’re definitely not being authentic. That’s the opposite of the coach that I want to be!
Courage, Compassion and Connection
I’m a really big fan of Brene Brown, and in particular her book The Gifts of Imperfection. In the book she writes, “It is in the process of embracing our imperfections that we find our truest gifts: courage, compassion, and connection.” I really thought about those three words…courage, compassion and connection and how they apply to me. What I discovered is that I need to have courage in order to embrace my imperfection, compassion for myself when I do make a mistake (and that’s going to happen a lot!) and a connection with the inherent imperfection of all my clients who are just like me. Wow! What a blinding flash of the obvious. No wonder the universe kept giving me shots, this is good stuff!
If this little “kick in the pants” lesson from the universe sounds familiar, and you’re a perfectionist like me (that’s so weird to say out loud) let’s connect and find your gifts of courage, compassion and connection. The universe will love you for it!