Perfection

Is there something in your life that you don't do because you can't do it perfectly? 

My sister had a rodent problem in her pantry a few years ago.  The rodent was gone but the food was still being piled outside the pantry.  She knew she needed to thoroughly clean the shelves and everything but since she didn't have time to do it perfectly, it just never got done.  (It did eventually and I'm sure her pantry is lovely now and that she is so thankful I shared this with you all.)

Is this something that plagues you?  It does me.  Daily I have to remind myself that good enough is usually good enough.  My kitchen isn't spic and span, but the dishwasher is running.  My laundry isn't all done, but the linens are folded and put away.  I didn't exercise for an hour, but I did go for a 45 minute walk. 

In college, I had a quote that I repeated often as motivation.  It came from Calvin and Hobbes (you know, the literary greats of the 1990s).


I've quit trying to be perfect.  I'm just trying to be good.

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned all of this on here before.  It is something I struggle with and that is hard to face in a weight loss journey.  It is hard to not get the perfect number on the scale.  It is easy to get down on yourself because your calorie intake wasn't perfect.  The reflection in the mirror does NOT look perfect!

I've brought this subject up in social circles and it, generally, isn't received well.  We've been conditioned to think of "good enough" to be settling.  If we aren't striving for more, we are failing to thrive.  This constant battle for perfection isn't healthy.  It isn't satisfying.  It doesn't make us joyful people. 

There comes a time when doing our best is really good enough.  If we can only clean one shelf in our pantry today, that is good enough.  We'll get to the rest later.  No time for an hour at the gym, but you can squeeze in a 20 minute walk - great!!  Remember, doing a little something right is better than doing nothing right at all.

I've recently had an experience in my life where being perfect caused a lot of needless pain and grief and my willingness to admit my imperfection brought a lot of joy to another.   This article by Single Dad Laughing expresses my feelings much more beautifully than I ever could. 

I pray that each of us can know that being ourselves is good enough.  That the good we do is good enough.  That the baby steps we take each day to be good people is pretty darn great. 

Hey!  Did you know someone thinks you're cool?  Well, I do.