When you have a vision or dream, you do everything you can to make it a reality. You take your time on refining every detail. I personally hate leaving anything unfinished, so I get overly focused on finishing what I started. When I really care about what I am doing, I find it hard to walk away. If you are anything like me, you probably get lost in projects and forget the simple things like eating four hours into your work. If it were not for my kids and husband, I probably would never leave my dungeon.
Putting my whole heart and soul into my creations makes failure so much harder. I know unequivocally that it is nearly impossible to get things right the first time, much less perfect. Trial and error is necessary for true success. However, that does not stop us from being our own worst and hardest critics. It is easy to beat ourselves up when things do not turn out how we hoped. It is much harder to congratulate or commend ourselves for the stuff we accomplish flawlessly.
Cut yourself some slack. Nobody is perfect, despite those that think otherwise. We all have our flaws, but they do not and should not always define us. The key is to never give up. If it is something you truly care about, keep pushing forward. You will never succeed if you quit, and you will instead be left with regret and a sense unworthiness. Do not torture yourself.
On the other hand, for those that think they can do no wrong, you are not flawless. Take a step back and take another look at yourself. Be humble and realize that you also experience failures.
Failures can be positive, but we have to take those failures for what they are, learning opportunities. We learn and grow from our shortcomings and mistakes. Use those moments to become a better you.
Take care of yourself. Appreciate yourself. This is especially critical for us parents, as we set the example for our children. If they see us tearing ourselves down, they will begin developing that same mindset and start hating themselves at a young age. Teach them how to recognize the good in themsepves while learning from the bad. They are our future, and it is up to us to help them grow into exceptional people that might change the world for the better.
Get them involved in what they love. Help them through their failures. Commend their successes. Love them entirely, so they know how to love themselves.
Not beating myself up is probably the hardest of all for me, but you are right. It's not a good example for the kids. I continue to try to do better, knowing full well that perfection is elusive at best.