How do I escape this comfort zone and gain love and confidence in myself?

I always find myself just not getting anything done, just laying around waiting for something good to happen. No discipline whatsoever. I always find myself to be a perfectionist as well, waiting for the right moment or waiting to feel like doing something and waiting to be in the perfect situation to start working on myself.
Asked by midnight
Answered
09/27/2022

Here's the thing, there is no such thing as the "perfect time".

The only time is NOW :) When we "wait for the right moment", we miss out on opportunities to grow and learn.

Perfectionism may be caused by a fear of judgment or disapproval from others. Our early childhood experiences, such as having parents with unrealistically high expectations, may play a role. Perfectionism is especially prevalent in those who experienced childhood trauma, particularly if a child's parents or caregivers withheld love or affection, did not allow children to make mistakes, or if parents never spoke about their own mistakes or normalized them as a process of learning, reflecting, and growing. Often a lot of shame comes up around this.  In the above instance, children are likely to develop the belief that they must work hard by 'proving themselves' or their self-worth to gain love and approval, or that making a mistake means rejection and disapproval from caregivers.

 

The core belief of "it has to be perfect or I'm not good enough, I failed, I'm going to be judged, etc". This story based in the past keeps us stuck there, and unable to be present. We may be frozen with fear, questioning the "what if's" if we're always waiting for the "perfect time". Procrastination is often a symptom of perfectionism. Because perfectionists fear being unable to complete a task perfectly, they put it off as long as possible, and sometimes do not even start or finish things. This stems from the fear that not meeting the goal means that there is something bad, wrong or unworthy inside, and thus is a cycle. 

 

There are various ways in which perfectionism can lead to procrastination. For example, it can increase the negative emotions that people experience when they make mistakes, which leads people to delay their work as a way to delay the associated negative emotions. It can create unnecessary and anxiety. 

 

Therefore, this is not really a subject related to self discipline, but more so confidence, accountability, willingness to learn, and a sense of worthiness. Feeling safe in our body to do something that makes us temporarily uncomfortable. When we allow ourselves to let go of needing to control the outcome, we can just take the first step. The first step is the biggest step. Inheriting a beginner's mindset while allowing yourself room to learn and grow is key. Offer yourself empathy and compassion as you step into this space. 

(LCSW-C, Certified, Integrative, Mental, Health, Medicine, Provider, Trauma-Informed, Yoga, Teacher)