Go to a good school. Make good grades. Get involved. Hold elected positions. Have an amazing job. Be popular. Have a perfect wardrobe. Always be put together. Oh, and get a full eight hours of sleep and leave enough time to relax throughout the day. This list could go on and on. Are all of these tasks what compose the ‘perfect’ person?

No. Not at all. However, this is what most people think they need to do. What other people tell them to do. There is no definition of perfection, yet it seems as though the expectations are being increased: and then made more unachievable, even unrealistic.

People often argue that they can achieve this idealistic image of perfection because it has been done before by friends, family, celebrities, etc. Perfection may appear on the outside, but is it actually there? It is not uncommon to come across someone who appears to have it all together, but don’t be mistaken— there is some quality that they are hiding or covering up. It is easy to look like you have the perfect lifestyle and have it all together when you are actually struggling with something else. Why? Because there is no such thing as perfection.

If everyone (supposedly) knows that there is no such thing as perfection, why do we bend over backwards to make sure we are near perfect? Why do we look at other people and first notice their imperfections? Why do we tend to criticize people more than compliment them? Is it human nature, or is it what we have conditioned ourselves to do?

Regardless of the unanswered questions as to why we choose to seek out imperfections while continuously striving for perfection, there are ways to improve the qualities that you are striving to make perfect. There are times where you may achieve these goals and actually be perfect in one aspect. But you must remember that it is impossible to be all-around perfect.

Everyone has different ideals and ideas of perfection, so the first step is to accept others’ differences. What one person perceives as perfect may be perceived as a major flaw to someone else. The next step is to accept your flaws and instead of trying to fix every little problem, focus on the big picture. Don’t obsess over every little detail until you have first figured out the biggest issue. Finally, remember to accept your imperfections.

Don’t simply accept your imperfections — learn to love them. Our imperfections are what make us unique, so start embracing them.