{"id":1753,"date":"2011-01-28T10:28:36","date_gmt":"2011-01-28T14:28:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/shieldsgroup.com\/?p=1753"},"modified":"2011-01-28T10:37:51","modified_gmt":"2011-01-28T14:37:51","slug":"how-do-i-overcome-my-perfectionistic-tendencies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shieldsgroup.com\/blog\/2011\/01\/28\/how-do-i-overcome-my-perfectionistic-tendencies\/","title":{"rendered":"How do I overcome my perfectionistic tendencies?"},"content":{"rendered":"

How do I stop being a perfectionist?<\/p>\n

Some time ago, I read a story about a farmer who approached a driver whose car was stuck in a mud hole:<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>\u201cFor 50 bucks, I\u2019ll pull you out of there.\u201d the farmer offered. The driver agreed and after the farmer had pulled him out and pocketed the money, he said, \u201cYou know, yours is the tenth car I\u2019ve rescued today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWow,\u201d the driver said, \u201cwhen do you have time to work your land? At night?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d the farmer replied, \u201cNight is when I fill the hole with water!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I love that. The farmer was setting a pitfall. Literally speaking, a pitfall is a hole or pit deceitfully covered to entrap wild beasts or men; a trap of any kind. Figuratively, a pitfall can be any unforeseen or unexpected difficulty. Life is filled with pitfalls. A temptation is a pitfall. An error in judgment can be a pitfall. A bad choice can become a pitfall. Some pitfalls are dug by others, some dug by ourselves.<\/p>\n

These pitfalls bring pain to ourselves, in the relationships we share with others, in our walk with God, who wants us to enjoy freedom he offers from being entrapped by these pitfalls.<\/p>\n

You know the kinds of pitfalls I am talking about<\/strong>, because you struggle with some of them too: Pitfalls of perfectionism, demanding that everyone like you, requiring control of situations and people, indulging in a lifestyle of self-pity, processing life to a mathematical equation, feeling that nothing will ever go right, feeling helpless, blaming others, obsessing about things you should give to God and avoiding problems through irresponsibility.<\/p>\n

Throughout my life, I have found myself falling into pitfalls over and over again. And I have learned how the Bible addresses a number of them.<\/p>\n

In this podcast we address the first pitfall: Perfectionism.<\/strong><\/p>\n

My notes are available upon request by emailing me here:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

~Steve<\/p>\n