by Clara Capano
As a coach and strategist, I work with many who strive for perfection in their businesses. I continually hear, “I’ll make the calls as soon as I know the script end to end,” or “I can’t go on a listing until I have my listing presentation perfected.” Don’t get me wrong—we need to be professionals, and we need to present ourselves as such. But don’t hide behind a veil of perfection.
Picture this: photos of supermodels—some of the most exquisitely beautiful human beings on the planet—are airbrushed to perfection when they appear in magazines. Despite their chiseled cheekbones, perfect hair, slim figures, and impressive designer outfits, they are often considered too imperfect to appear as is without photographic enhancements. Is this a feasible way to go about any kind of initiative?
Clients and others are drawn to you because of who you are: the value you bring and the trust you build with them. Nobody wants to be with or work with a robot feeding them information or living off a template. They want a real person who can guide them and communicate honestly with them.
I struggled with the idea of perfection too. At a young age, I developed an eating disorder as I tried to look “perfect’. In college, I struggled with depression and then went into a bad relationship all because I wanted the perfect picture of life. What I was missing was the realization that I was perfect – perfectly me.
Learning to love your personal perfection, begin by developing these habits:
- Be kind to yourself. If you see a bully picking on another kid, you would stand up and say something. Well, the biggest bully in the playground is our self! We talk down and mentally beat up ourselves daily. Start to practice kindness toward yourself. Use positive self-talk and affirmations to unlock and strengthen the perfect you that is inside.
- Everyone is battling something. Even the most perfect of people has a battle, even if you don’t see it. Katie, 53, was the envy of all. She was strong and well known as a successful businesswoman in her community. Everyone wanted to be her and to have what she had. One the outside – she had a perfect life. Yet those closet to her saw the truth… a difficult marriage, a child on drugs and personal depression. There is no ‘perfect’. The next time you find yourself wanting to be another or have another’s life, stop and be grateful for what you have as you some know what is really on the inside of what you don’t see.
- Be the Best You. We all know what it feels like when we are in our ‘zone’. We move fluidly through the day and everything gels together. Take a minute and thing about 5 words that you would use to describe yourself when you are in this zone. For me the words are: inspiring, genuine, prepared, confident and purposeful. This is me when I am at my best! So every day I look at these words and my goal, my job is to be the Best Clara I can be. I don’t have to be anyone else, just the very best me. So who are you at your Best????
- Know that you are already perfect. There was study that was done to find out the probability of you being born on your day, in your family in your year. It was 1: 4 Trillion. WOW! You are amazing and unique. It doesn’t matter if you believe in God, the universe or unicorns….you are create to be the perfect YOU. Dr. Seuss says it best: Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!
In life and in business, there’s no such thing as perfection, and no matter how hard you try and how wonderful you are, you will not impress everyone. The good news is that you don’t have to. All you need to do is be the truest and best you – that is all they want.
Give yourself a little credit and validation. Be yourself. People will appreciate your sincerity and authenticity.
Clara Capano is the author of Find Your Focus: 52 Weeks of Clara-ty, available now on Amazon. For more info, visit http://clara-ty.com