Progress Not Perfection

A new cast member has revealed herself in my Gremlin ensemble.  Tall and lanky with a thin face and hawk-like nose she bears a striking resemblance to my elementary school principal.  No surprise that she goes by the code name: Mother Superior.

The Gremlin ensemble is made up of those voices of judgment and criticism that arise to sabotage our best intentions. They are sneaky and clever.  Mother Superior’s script shines a spotlight focus on anything less than perfection – highlighting the slightest flaw with an incessantly creative critique that only she can muster. By holding

Let’s say you are working with: “What would it be like to choose health in all areas of my life?” as a big question to explore for this year.  One aspect of that question might focus on doing more yoga.  To create a new habit, you started small by doing 3 sun salutations a day.  You do well for the first week, are not quite as consistent the second week and perhaps now are starting to bog down and feel hopeless.  That feeling of hopelessness and wanting to quit is fertile ground for Mother Superior.

Thankfully, there is a remedy.  It’s simple but not always easy.  Track your progress.

In 12 step programs progress not perfection is a fundamental principle that has helped a gazillion people get and stay clean and sober. You can overcome self sabotage by consistently tracking progress on whatever it is you want to change or attract more of in your life.  Whether it’s a day at a time, an hour at a time, or during really rough patches, a minute at a time, tracking your progress will keep you on course and in the game.

You can course correct or start again right now – no need to wait until Monday or tomorrow morning.  Postponing action gives your gremlin additional training time.  Do something, anything right this minute to overcome resistance and empower yourself to re-engage.  Take a breath then take an action.

If you’re in a meeting and can’t gracefully move into a yoga pose without the risk of career suicide, do some neck, wrist or ankle stretches.  Whenever I notice Mother Superior gearing up, I counter with:  “Oh yeah, watch this!” and take some action to thwart her.  This is when being stubborn can be a real asset.

Be explicit about tracking your wins for the day – no matter how insignificant or small they may seem.  This is how new habits are strengthened and developed.  More importantly, it’s how we tame the gremlins.

PRACTICE

Start a progress journal or add this dimension to your current one.  Track your wins – even the small ones.

If you’re a digital native, there are some programs on line you can download to help you keep track.

Taming the Gremlin by Rick Carson continues to be a great resource for doing just that.

One Response to “Progress Not Perfection”

1. Jennifer says:

   January 26, 2012 at 8:19 am

   Hi Mary! Thank you for the blog! One thing that helps me with the Gremlins is a practice from the book Flourish by Martin Seligman you recommended in an earlier post. The practice is “What went right?” Every night or during the day or whenever I need it I ask myself that simple question. It takes me out of the “what went wrong?” In gratitude,
   Jennifer

   Reply