3 Ways Being Perfect is Holding You Back

Sometimes I look at my Instagram feed and I would be forgiven for thinking there is nobody left on earth who doesn’t work out. Every morning I see sweaty faces, running shoes hitting the trails, times and calories and paces and smoothies. But I follow a lot of runners and fitness bloggers and yogis. That’s a regular morning for those of us who have made working out part of our profession, or just our joy in life.

There are lots of explanations for not working out. You could be so busy at work you’re not even sure what day it is. Maybe you feel like your children need you more than you need to go to the gym right now. You only have 15 minutes to spare, and that couldn’t possibly be enough time for a worthwhile workout. Or maybe it’s been so long since you put on workout clothes, that you feel like getting fit again is too overwhelming to even consider.

These reasons for not working out have nothing to do with time, motivation, or desire. If this sounds like you, read on. Something is holding you back from that first step to making exercise something you love and make time for, but until you can work out why you’re not starting,you may never get around to taking the first step.

What might be the issue here? Being a perfectionist. Type A. Unwilling to accept anything less than the best from themselves, perfectionists often won’t try, for fear of failure. 

Here are three ways being perfect is holding you back (let’s call them perfectionist problems) and how you can counteract them:

Perfectionist Problem #1:

I haven’t worked out in six years – where do I even start? I need to make a list.

There’s so much conflicting advice about how to lose weight and get fit. We’re inundated with diet advertising, with social media hashtags, with promises that this is the program or eating plan or type of workout you need right now. It’s overwhelming. It’s overwhelming for someone who’s already in pretty good shape, just looking for a change. It’s almost crippling for someone with perfectionist tendencies who is starting from scratch (plus a few pounds). Maybe you think you need to plan it all out to a T before you even begin. But all that energy you’re going to expend on the planning stage isn’t going to get your heart rate up. (Well, not enough, anyway.)

Just pick something. Anything. Pilates, running, spin class, barre, whatever. Pick one thing and give it a try. Check the schedules and go as often as you can, or for something like running, pick a beginner training plan and get started. Once you begin, I promise your Type-A tendencies will kick in and work in your favor – you won’t want to give up something once you’re committed. You just have to take the plunge. One caveat, though – if you try it a few times and realize you hate it, quit immediately. Think of it as market research or something, but get out fast. Move on to the next option until you find something you enjoy. No amount of perfectionism is going to make you stick it out with an activity you don’t like for the long haul.

Perfectionist Problem #2:

I can’t focus on my fitness until (insert current work project here) is finished.

It’s natural for a perfectionist to focus on one big issue at a time. If you have a big project at work, then your focus is on that single project. The idea of leaving work at a normal hour to go to the gym, or to go running before work when you could get to the office earlier instead, would be detracting from your single-minded dedication to a task. If this sounds like you, then you needn’t try to convince yourself to the contrary. Simply remind yourself that sometimes taking a short break from what you’re working on can refocus your energy. Therefore, by taking time to do something like exercising, which is unrelated to your current project, you could actually INCREASE your productivity.

Perfectionist Problem #3:

I don’t have enough time to work out. 

What’s “enough”? Many people will say they don’t have time to work out. The Type As among us say they just don’t have ENOUGH time. There’s a big difference. There’s a common misconception that you need at least 30 minutes for a worthwhile exercise session, and honestly, if you’re a true perfectionist, you may secretly believe anything less than an hour isn’t going to cut it. The reality is that if you wait for the perfect amount of time for a workout, by the end of the week you won’t have managed to sweat even once. Take what you would have done in an hour and break it up into smaller workouts you know you can schedule. Even if you feel like maybe it’s not good enough, the end result is you’re getting more activity in than if you’d waited for the ‘perfect’ time.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for someone with a tendency to only accept 100% from themselves, is to be able to pick yourself up when you do have a slip up (because we all mess up, whether we’re a perfectionist or not). Maybe you went out with friends, had a drink too many and didn’t make it to your workout the next morning and that was enough for you to quit entirely. That’s not a failure, my friend. The only failure is if you don’t get back on your path at the next opportunity. Remember, being healthy and fit is a lifestyle, not a quick fix.

What’s your biggest challenge when you’re in a rut?

How have you managed to get started again after time off fitness?