Cognitive restructuring
'Cognition' is a word used to denote a thought or belief, and 'restructuring' involves challenging a cognition by looking at the evidence for or against it. The basic idea behind cognitive restructuring is that thoughts themselves are not facts; you need to consider whether the thoughts you are having are true and to consider whether there are any other ways to thinking about a particular situation. At first this can be a real challenge: we often believe what we think and don't question our own thoughts. However, often our thinking is biased, and with perfectionism it can be biased towards thinking too negatively and harshly about yourself.
Freedom
Over the course of this program it has been argued that perfectionism, or setting yourself unrealistically high standards, can lead to procrastination, avoidance, fatigue, self-criticism, and ultimately damages self-worth.
By now, you have hopefully begun to understand that changing the way you think about achievement can lead to greater mental flexibility and freedom -
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Greater freedom to pursue the things you like
Greater freedom to like yourself
Greater freedom to be compassionate towards yourself
Greater freedom to enjoy life
"Goals are a means to an end, not the ultimate purpose of our lives. They are simply a tool to concentrate our focus and move us in a direction. The only reason we really pursue goals is to cause ourselves to expand and grow. Achieving goals by themselves will never make us happy in the long term; it's who you become, as you overcome the obstacles necessary to achieve your goals, that can give you the deepest and most long-lasting sense of fulfilment."
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-Tony Robbins, author of Awaken the Giant Within
In the end it comes down to a choice.
Do you want to keep focusing on a series of unreachable goals which leave you feeling 'never good enough'?
Or do you want to focus on the process of expanding and growing?
If you have been working towards the latter by using the ideas presented in this program, then you have probably already started to realise that reaching the end goal isn't as important as enjoying the process of getting there, mistakes and all.