How often do you psyche yourself up only to let yourself down?

Does this sound like you?

You are on a mission!

Desktop cleared. Pen in hand. Crisp sheets of white paper nicely stacked waiting for your direction.

Then it happens.

Your hand starts to craft the most beautiful to-do list known to mankind.

Armed with your battleplan, you are ready to attack and conquer.

Surely you can get 30 items done by noon, you tell yourself.

When the clock strikes 12 o'clock, you look down at your list and feel drained. Why?

You only completed 3 items. You wrote an elaborate to do list.

When all 30 items aren't checked off by noon, you feel like a failure.

You have not failed.

There's a voice in your head that tells you that something has to be done a certain way. Anything short of that way is not good enough.

So then you beat yourself up, even though you did your best.

Welcome to the life of a perfectionist. Your sense of self esteem comes from fulfilling unrealistic expectations you set for yourself.

Are you setting up these expectations or are you seeking approval from someone in your life: past or present?

For example, I had a high school biology teacher that asked me what I would like to do after going to college. I told her that I was interested in medicine. I'll never forget her frowning face and glasses sitting on her nose. She leaned over her desk, looked directly in my eyes and said, You will never make it doing anything in medicine!

This was a defining moment in my life. My soul can still feel how broken my spirit felt that day. After graduating from high school, I set my sights on proving her wrong.

Here is the problem: Proving her wrong was setting me up for failure.

What would ever be good enough?

When I started college and majored in pharmacy, I was terrified whenever I had to take a science class. I told myself, If I don't do well, then my high school teacher was right about me.

I let my self esteem be dictated by someone else.

Can you relate to this story?

What is the area that you struggle with the most when it comes to perfectionism?

Here is the Secret Cure: You are good enough because God created you in His Image.

Take a deep breath, close your eyes and know that you are made in the image of God.

Your breath came from his Spirit. Wow!

In the Creation story, God praised what he created at the end of the first day. After observing what he created, he said; It is good.

He didn't say, well At least I should have made the stars and sun too. That was stupid!

If God praised each step he made, can't you do the same?

Today, relax in knowing that God approves of your effort.

Your best is good enough.