Have you ever been so focused on your life being perfect that you could barely think of anything else? Well, I have. From my work life to my personal life, I would constantly think that my work or my social skills just weren’t up to scratch. Yep, even if I was doing my laundry, it had to be perfect! As the years went by, people began to tell me of my ‘Type A’ personality – and I wasn’t too happy about it. After all, I was just me, right? Yet, I soon realized that my strict structures, self-discipline, and personal sacrifices were not benefiting my life in the way I thought they were. So, I decided to hire a life coach to teach me a little more about my little quirks.
You don’t grow inside of your comfort zone
One of the main aspects of anyone with a Type A personality is that they know exactly how they want things done, and how their life should be structured. For me, this helped me score the perfect job and live a seemingly perfect life. Yet, I soon realized that this structure and working ethos was causing me more stress than good – and my life coach helped me realize why. She told me that you don’t grow inside of your comfort zone. While you may have your routines and your schedules, these always create the same outcome. If you really want to thrive and grow as a person, you need to work outside of your comfort zone and push yourself… no matter how hard it may be.
You need to lose control to feel emotionally dependent
As a Type A personality, I have believed for many years that the key to a stable life is to keep within my boundaries and keep up with my strict schedules. By doing this, I feel as if I have control over the world around me. However, my life coach taught me that controlling the world around me doesn’t always mean that I am controlling my own life. By losing control and letting yourself loosen up, you should be able to feel more emotionally independent and in control of your own emotions and feeling during each moment of your life. For me, I stopped refreshing my work emails after I clocked out – because work involves work time. Letting your work control your life will not allow you to control your personal life.
Your idea of perfect may not be perfect in real life
One of the most important things my life coach has taught me is that my idea of ‘perfect’ might not be as perfect in real life. In fact, after years of continuing the same routine for the sake of a perfect life, each action has actually lost its spark. Instead, my life has become a boring conglomeration of routine and monotony – and I’ve forgotten how to live a real life. So, rather than striving towards this idea of perfection, you need to celebrate what it means to fail and push yourself back up again. While trying a new hobby or exercise class may make you feel silly, and you may have to really force yourself to go, I can guarantee that you will leave with a new lease of life – all while wondering why you never chose to try something new in the first place.
While not everyone can hire a life coach to explain their Type A personality, I have been taught to look at myself in a different way and look at my life in a completely different light – which is something you really can’t put a price on.
