We, as women are often too demanding of ourselves. For some reason we seem to believe that the world immediately surrounding us depends on our perfection to survive. At times we even expand that mode of thinking and assume that our need for perfection extends to world issues. If a friend, family member, co-worker, or anyone else were to demand of us the things we demand of ourselves we would most likely want to scream, “Back off” and walk away from their unreasonable demands.
Yet, the standard we set for ourselves is often too high to comfortably achieve. The schedule on our daily planner would exhaust a marathon runner. We set goals for ourselves that are nearly unattainable when combined with all of our other obligations. It is imperative that we be selective when obligating ourselves to fill volunteer positions, provide carpool service for children, family members, or friends and take on extra duties at home or in the workplace. Spreading ourselves too thin is a common source of stress for women. We all need to discover the power of that two letter word, “No”.
There is no need for women to pressure themselves to be perfect. Being the best or always having the best is not a requirement for a happy life. Learning to reduce the demands on oneself is an essential part of achieving personal happiness. Learning to delegate part of your load takes some pressure off of you. To reasonably and responsibility perform the daily tasks that you need to do is all that you should ask of yourself. Back off. Give yourself some breathing room, some time to relax and an opportunity to enjoy a little imperfection along the way.
Just in case you haven't had time to think about it, you might want to pause for a moment and give some thought to the idea that when you demand too much of yourself it may cost you:
- quality time with your spouse or children
- personal time to relax or pursue a hobby
- vacation time
- the pleasure of a lazy morning
- holiday fun
- enjoyable moments with your pet
- a good night's sleep
- peace of mind
- good health
