Let Go of Perfection and Just Do!
I wonder how many good things I have missed because I decided not to try, feeling I would not do them perfectly.
Or, how much extra stress I have caused myself and my family because of my drive to do things just right.
Thankfully, over the years I have let go of my tight grip on perfectionism. At least somewhat.
I'm great at letting my kids play in the dirt, and have no problem getting out the paint, but I still sometimes forgo trying something new because I'm afraid I can't do it right.
In recent days I have thought about some of the things I have done, even though they were not to my standards, and how these things have been a blessing to my family.
A mother-daughter journal
I wanted to cover a book with beautiful paper and make it look lovely.
But, I really didn't have time. I thought about putting it off, but instead wrote, “Mother – Daughter Journal” on the front of a 25 cent notebook instead. We have now enjoyed the pleasant treat of writing back and forth to one another in our journal. Treasured memories and relationship building were had because I let go of perfection.
I'm so glad I didn't wait. I probably would never have gotten around to making that book.
A Thankfulness Tree
Our Thanksgiving Tree is certainly not Pinterst-worthy, but we still enjoy writing on the leaves and remembering what we are grateful for.
Cleaning out a messy drawer
Yesterday Crystal suggested we spend 10 minutes cleaning out our messiest drawer. I almost didn't do it because I figured I needed more than 10 minutes. My drawer was very messy!
I decided to do the best I could with the time I had.
Look what I was able to achieve in 10 minutes:
It's not perfect. I didn't have time to wipe the bottom of the drawer, but it's so much better! We can actually find things!
I love Flylady's saying,
“Housework done imperfectly still blesses your family.”
Isn't that the truth?
A room that has had 10 minutes of focused attention looks much better than one that has been neglected because it can't be dealt with correctly.
Today I want to encourage you to forget perfection and just do!
Do something you've been putting off. Don't worry about it turning out just right. Just do it.
What types of things do you put off because they can't be done perfectly?
Sharing at Better Mom Mondays, Raising Arrows,
Thank you so much for this post. This is EXACTLY what I needed this morning. You just gave me the energy to tidy up my livingroom and do the dishes and the laundry and clean the toys up. I’ve been putting it off because I havent had time to it properly. Either my kids are sleeping and I cant make noise or I have to run errands or do research for work. But you just reminded me I dont need to do it properly, as long as it’s done I will feel better about it.
Ariel,
Thanks for your kind words. I hope you were able to get something done 🙂 Just doing something is better than waiting to do it properly! Most of the time 🙂
I used to be an avid scrapbooker and our consultant used to say, “Finished is better than perfect!” when we would get bogged down on a page. Last week I said that to one of my friends about a project we are heading and she laughed. She said to me, “Tara used to say that!” It created. Light hearted moment and helped relieve some stress on us.
I love your blog and look forward to your postings.
“Finished is better than perfect!” I love that! Thanks so much for sharing.