Why do I feel like everything has to be perfect before I can be happy?

Believing that everything has to be perfect before you can be happy is a form of conditional living that keeps happiness perpetually out of reach. This mindset often develops from messages that you received about when it's appropriate to be satisfied or content - perhaps you learned that you should always be striving for more, or that contentment equals complacency. The problem with this approach is that perfection doesn't exist, and there will always be something that could be better, different, or more. This creates a moving target where happiness is always just around the corner, after the next achievement, purchase, or life coping with change. The truth is that happiness and contentment are available to you right now, in your imperfect life with its current challenges and limitations. This doesn't mean you can't work toward goals or want to improve things, but it means you don't have to wait until everything is perfect to enjoy your life. Start practicing gratitude practice for what's already good in your life, even while acknowledging what you'd like to coping with change. Allow yourself to feel satisfied with 'good enough' in some areas so you can focus your improvement efforts where they matter most. Remember that the pursuit of perfection often prevents you from appreciating the progress you've already made and the good things you already have.