In an ideal world, where perfect caregivers nurtured perfect children, there would be no connection at all between mistakes and weight. However, your parents most likely weren?t perfect and as a parent yourself, I am certain you aren?t perfect either. The fact is: there is no such thing as perfection! Mistakes are a function of growth. Without mistakes, we would never really have a clue of how things could be better. Mistakes are a prerequisite for any learning process. Mistakes are a function of changing awareness!

Learning from your mistakes is the best way to institute a permanent change. Behaviorists say that in order to achieve the ultimate goal we must learn as we go. This, they refer to as successive approximations. This means that with each step, we get closer and closer to the desired outcome; but we must learn through our errors how to achieve that goal. Every error brings a new awareness.

This awareness becomes a part of your lifestyle, allowing you to refine what you set out to do in the first place. The fear of making an error kills our right to spontaneous self-expression -- we?re afraid to say, think or feel without sensor. But if everything you said, thought or felt was kept buried deep within, how would it be possible to live life to the fullest, to really be honest, to learn or to better yourself?

Rather than fearing errors, we must welcome them. A slight change in perception in this manner can make or break the learning experience, allowing you to achieve that goal or give in to defeat. It?s the difference between remaining stagnant or unbeaten! Therefore, the key to understanding the importance of mistakes is to change your interpretation of that faux pas from the get go. Basically, your point of view will determine your potential for growth.

You may be asking exactly what does this have to do with your weight. My answer to you is EVERYTHING! Too many people have an irrational conception that we must be perfect. If we have to be perfect, how in the world will we ever find the motivation to begin making changes in our lifestyle? Again, that fear of not being perfect will find a way to hinder us from functioning at optimal levels. Therefore, we will never better ourselves and never achieve that ultimate dream in both weight loss and overall wellness. Recognizing the difference between desiring to be perfect and needing to be perfect is essential to healthy living. The desire to want things done to the best of your ability consists of reasonable and flexible thinking. The need to be perfect is rigid and self-defeating. This type of thinking implies that errors are unacceptable.

Perfectionism breeds dysfunctional habits. These habits include: procrastination, overcompensation, detail orientation, and defensiveness. Procrastination causes perfectionists to put things off until they feel it can be done perfectly the first time around. How in the world will you ever get it perfect if you?ve never given it a try? If you put off attempting to lose weight and become healthy because you are waiting to do it perfectly, when do you really think you?ll start feeling better about yourself?

Overcompensating behavior includes having difficulty differentiating between the important and the less important aspects of a project. This results in the fear of leaving something out or needing to be flawless. There are so many facets to weight loss and weight management. You cannot possibly modify everything at once. One step at a time will get you where you want to be!

Being detail-oriented makes us critical of not only ourselves, but others as well. When you are picky about everything, it often leads to disappointment when we recognize flaws in ourselves and others. The inability to see the forest through the trees, not allowing room for improvement and losing focus of the overall objective will result in frustration and surrender.

Defensive behaviors include the inability to acknowledge mistakes; therefore, an inability to learn from them. Going to great lengths to avoid making mistakes will make it difficult to accomplish even the smallest of objectives. During your weight loss process, don?t distort new information to fit your current approach. Accept fresh suggestions and incorporate them to the best of your ability. If you keep doing what you have been doing, you will reap the same results. You?ll remain immobile.

All in all, no one can ever be totally perfect. It's okay to want to do your best, but doing your best does not necessarily mean you will be the best. That's okay! Really! To err is human and to be human is liberating!

Source: eDiets.com