Being a perfectionist isn’t always a good thing. In fact, it can be damaging to our health, physical and mental wellbeing, self-esteem, quality of life, happiness and more.
Equally, whilst comparison is human nature and a common part of social life it can steal our joy. This fundamental human tendency to look to others for information about how to think, feel and behave has enabled us to thrive in a highly complex and interconnected social world so I’m certainly not here to say it’s all bad. Lots of great quotes on this one, a personal fave is Lao Tzu “When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everyone will respect you.”
Rather than trying to ‘fix’ your imperfections – perceived or real, how about shifting your energy to focus on using your character strengths. If you haven’t already taken a survey to know your greatest strengths I recommend doing so here https://www.viacharacter.org/character-strengths. It is free and takes just 10 minutes.
Once you have your own combination of strengths find ways of using them eg. hope – being realistic in situations yet also being optimistic around others which is contagious; or humor – taking a playful approach and making others laugh in stressful situations
To quote Eckhart Tolle “you are not a problem that needs solving” In identifying who you are, what your unique character strengths are and using them you will reap the rewards and so will others all around you.
Being your authentic self and knowing when to strive for improvements vs perfectionism and learning from others strengths vs comparing will lead to greater life satisfaction, higher levels of contentment, boosted relationships for you and all in your social network. I’m pretty sure you’ve heard Ralph Waldo Emerson’s most famous quote “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”