The hardest thing about getting started is getting started

Author: Amy Albero, LCSW

I have wanted to start a Blog for nearly two years, yet it is only now that I feel ready to sit down and write.

The reality is, it wasn’t for a lack of a general concept or ideas that was holding me back, but rather the lack of “good enough” content for the FIRST Blog post that was standing in my way.

I realized I was putting all of this pressure on myself about the FIRST Blog post – that it had to convey a certain message, that it had to have just the right tone … that it had to be perfect.

The awareness to the latter stopped me in my tracks as I realized the pursuit of “perfection” had quite literally stifled me and my voice.  I had put so much pressure on needing things to be a certain way, that I forgot how to just simply be.  Striving toward some unattainable myth filled me with anxiety and self-doubt, so much so that in these last two years, I had never even taken the chance to see what I was capable of.  To dig deep within my heart and gut to listen to what I actually wanted to say.

I realized how my quest for perfection was deeply rooted in a fear of failure, and a (possibly greater) fear of disappointing others, which is really difficult for this Recovering People Pleaser.

All this awarenessing that was happening felt a little overwhelming, but more than that, so liberating!  I had figured it out – now how to break through the barrier?

The truth is, sometimes the way to start, is just, well, to start.  So I decided to take a deep breath, pound away at the keyboard, and see what came out when I allowed myself the space and grace to do so.

This experience got me thinking….

How often does the myth of perfection hold us back from pursuing our goals personally, professionally, within our relationships?  And how does this striving toward perfection keep us from knowing ourselves, and what it is we truly want and need?

Let’s consciously battle this illusory concept of perfection in pursuit of something far greater…. Authenticity.

But How?, you ask.
Start small.  Today.

Give yourself grace with your food choices.
Accept a compliment, simply with a “Thank you.”
Read one page of a book that has been sitting on your nightstand.
Talk to a friend who is going through a challenging time, even if you don’t know quite what to say.
Notice one positive thing you did today.

Keep in mind, Baby steps are still steps.

Let us know how it went for you!

Stay Well,
Amy at Revive