Lessons from the Pandemic for a Perfectionist
Oct 28, 2021
Lessons from the Pandemic for a Perfectionist
Probably like you, I like like to know how my day is going to go. Actually, I like my whole month planned out. I like routine, structure, productivity and predictability.
Well, one thing after another just blew my mind with this pandemic. Just when we thought we would be returning back to work, when life would be normal something else would happen that I hadn't thought of and would blow my mind.
One of the lessons I got from this pandemic is to roll with the punches.
This can be very difficult for a perfectionist. Yes, as perfectionists we like when life goes as planned, preferably our plan ;). We have a tough time when things are off schedule, when plans get canceled at the last minute, or that when things are unable to be rescheduled. It's that all or nothing one right way mindset that makes it challenging for perfectionists.
Like most people, I had several trips I had to cancel. When things were better for travel, things still weren't smooth and normal. Several flights booked got canceled and rescheduled at the airline's convenience.
It was comforting knowing it wasn't a me problem but something we were all going through. Knowing this made it easier to lower my expectations and to go with the flow. I now actually expected things to be messy, to be complicated and to not go as planned.
Now that things are opening back up and we can travel more, I still have that mindset.
We recently went to France for two weeks. I wasn't even sure it was going to happen until maybe the day before we left as the EU kept making changes for foreign entry. Because I approached it with this mindset I was happy when we did actually get to go.
Now when I travel I leave extra time in my schedule to allow for fluctuations, like our last flight home when we had to stay in Montreal overnight due to mechanical issues and made it home a day later. I wasn't stressed out because I had a buffer day in my schedule to catch my breath before jumping back into work. This makes it a lot easier to "roll with the punches."
When things do go as planned, or stay on schedule, I'm pleasantly surprised. You see by adjusting my perspective and expectations I'm less apt to feel the negative emotions like frustration and disappointment.
While none of us enjoy living through this, you can continue to be frustrated by the lack of ability to control things due to the pandemic or you can be on the flip side and take on the challenge of adjusting your perspective. Shift into lighter energy, lower your expectations and go with the flow.
This is a life lesson you can choose to keep and implement even after the pandemic ends.
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