Over the last few months I’ve had a couple of opportunities to let my inner perfectionist flare up…over something random. Have you ever heard of oil pulling? Basically you put a tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth and swish it around for 20 minutes.
I read about the benefits of doing it and jumped right in a while ago. The first time felt weird. But by the second or third time I was hooked. Six months later at my usual dental check-up, my regular hygienist asked what I was doing different because my gums were even healthier. That feedback solidified my commitment to it. Plus, it’s a natural teeth whitener!
Twice recently, when talking about it, I was asked, “Do you really do it everyday for 20 minutes?” (The experts say that’s the magic length of time.) One of the women who asked me was even a dental hygienist (that means extra temptation to fall back into self-judgment and perfectionist mode).
I told them that I don’t do it for 20 minutes a day. Sometimes I might, but definitely not every day. I explained that I grab my tablespoon before I jump in the shower so however long it takes to shower and moisturize that day is how long I swish the oil.
Both people responded, “oh really, you don’t do 20 minutes and it still works?” And again I reiterated that yes it still works and no I don’t do it for 20 minutes.
Those two conversations left me feeling SO GOOD. A while ago my inner perfectionist would have crept in and started criticizing me for not oil pulling perfectly. But I wasn’t tempted this time around, and it felt great to stand solidly in progress instead of perfection. A little piece of freedom…a small victory.
I even found myself wondering where else those two people might be holding themselves back in life because they’re not able to do something perfectly. I realized it is usually the little things, like this, that we beat ourselves up over or we waste mental energy spinning about. In doing that, we hold ourselves back.
Can you think of an example in your life of something you’re not doing because it might not be 100% to your own or to someone else’s standards?
This message is your sign to give it a try. Jump into action with whatever that thing is that you’ve been holding back.
Find a commitment level that works for you and give it a try. Don’t sit on the sidelines because some expert’s advice isn’t exactly going to fit into your lifestyle. Guess what? You’ll experience a benefit, like I did, even if you’re not doing it exactly as the experts say. And maybe you’ll even experience that sense of freedom I felt when sharing the news that no, I’m not being perfect about this new habit.
Let me know how it goes!
