You’re ambitious. A go-getter. A perfectionist. It’s because you’re ambitious that your perfectionism is heightened and you think if you can’t go all in, if the thing doesn’t get all your attention, then you can’t do it. It’s time to end all-or-nothing thinking once and for all.
You convince yourself that If you can’t go all in, then you can’t do it at all. You think, if I’m not giving it my all then I’m not giving it anything.
If you’re not getting the results you want, it’s a knee-jerk reaction to tell yourself, “okay then I’m not doing it.
Instead, you need to look at what you need to tweak, what you need to do differently to get the results you want. Not getting the results you want is not an excuse to stop. Remember that perfectionism is nothing more than procrastination in disguise.
When you give-up and give-in to the all-or-nothing thinking, you go to something where you know you can get a win and get that instant gratification. You’re searching for that dopamine boost of getting it done and getting it done perfectly. You literally just throw out the thing that you can’t go all in on.
You can’t be a quitter. You’ve got to stick with it longer. It’s not about doing it all, or doing it big.
Here are 3 Ways You Can Finally Let go and end all-or-nothing thinking.
1️⃣ Do it consistently.
Even when consistency feels hard, figure out how to show up on the things that matter.
Working on your health by working out 4 days a week is way better than showing up for one hour once a week.
Small incremental steps taken more frequently and consistently is where progress is made.
Consistency is how you beat out the all or nothing mentality.
Because if you’re consistently posting a blog or podcast or working out 20 minutes a day, eventually you will get to what you want.
You’ve got to be in the long game, doing the reps, that is so key to getting the results you want and getting to where you want to get. Jumping ship is not an option.
2️⃣ Identify your consistency habits.
Good habits aren’t asking for perfection. They’re just asking you to show up when and how you can.
👉 You want to write a book? You need a habit of writing 4 days a week for an hour.
👉 You want to get fit? You need a habit of working out 20 minutes a day 5 days a week.
👉 You want to get better sleep? You need a habit of journaling, meditating, listening to calming music etc before bed.
The truth is, some days, we don’t feel 100%. Maybe there’s only 25% left in our tank.
Say you had a late night binging some Netflix series that you couldn’t bring yourself to stop. Or you were up late talking to a friend who really needed you. That’s life. Those are normal, sometimes even healthy interruptions.
Showing up to maintain your good habits means you do what you can consistently. That doesn’t mean always. It means regularly.
3️⃣ Celebrate the small wins.
Small wins are the markers of consistency and that consistency is working.
When you don’t recognize those wins you feel like you’re not making progress. You have to say that even a little bit every week is better than nothing.
I just moved to a new state and my workout schedule is all messed up at best.
But you know what? I’m still going as often but on different days and different times. The habit doesn’t have to be exactly the same, but I’m still achieving the same results.
And let me tell you, making the choice to leave my house of unpacked boxes to take care of myself is a win every time!
Let’s ditch the all or nothing mentality and find the evidence that proves you are capable of doing a little vs doing nothing especially when you have a time or energy constraint.
When you just can’t fit in 100%, just a little is better than nothing and you will get to the finish line faster.