Shew! We just got back from an epic vacation centered on seeing around 55 family and friends. You know that saying...I need a vacation from my vacation? Yep. And I don't regret it a bit.

I definitely could have timed it better. I have the kick-off for the Burpees & Beer Benefit tonight and MindBodyNOW Class starts tomorrow so my vacation meant some early mornings and mid-day calls to get the prep work taken care of. 

It's a great thing I know how to be NOW or else my epic trip would have been a stress fest where I wouldn't have been fully present with my loved ones because I would have been worrying and anxiety-ing about getting all of my work stuff done. 

And now that I think about it, being NOW before the trip was super handy too. As you can imagine, coordinating visits with 55 friends and family (some of them on a boat) is like squirrel wrangling but instead of stressing about how it would all work out, I simply stayed now and trusted it would. And it did. 

That brings me to today's topic on perfectionism. Perfectionists are definitely not NOW and fully present. They're up in their heads where those devil thoughts live. 

Here are some examples of how perfectionism shows up as it relates to women who think ad nauseam about their bodies, food, and fitness. 

You spend weeks planning out and researching your new diet and exercise plan that will solve it all. You get new shoes, outfits, juicing ingredients, and a new journal. And then you wait for the perfect time to start when you're not too busy at work, you're well-rested, there's no family drama, and the laundry and house are finally clean.

You finally start the above program and you're killing your workouts and eating the right foods on schedule. And then work picks up and your daughter quits talking to you because you hurt her feelings. This keeps you awake and stressed which puts you behind on house chores. "I'll start back up next week."

You're so proud of yourself for how disciplined you've been! You're staying away from 'bad' foods thanks to your constant inner monologue. 

"You're a fat pig, you don't deserve dessert!" "I'm really hungry but no! I can't eat, it's not time!" "Look at your ugly body, you need extra time on the treadmill tonight." "You need to try harder and use more discipline like Martha!"

And that monologue drains your energy and wears you down. It's a struggle to find the willpower to keep going. And that day when work is tough? You don't. "I deserve to rest and take the day off" turns into "I deserve to rest and take the day off and I haven't had chips and donuts in sooo long and I'm going to stop on the way home to get my faves! And then it's me and Bridget Jones's Diary!" 

The next morning? You're pissed, depressed, and full of shame because you failed. This does nothing for your mood or energy and so tonight becomes last night on repeat.

If any of that resembles you, your mind is running a perfectionist show, and the way out? New tools. A healthy relationship with yourself. A better relationship with food and fitness.

If you're tired of replaying this worn-out record, maybe MindBodyNOW -- Making Peace with Fitness and Food...Finally. is calling your name. Could it be the class you never knew you always needed? Click here for the scoop.