Progress Over Perfection

In life, it can be so simple to get caught up in what we haven’t done. It gets to a point where we forget to celebrate our accomplishments and really enjoy the fruits of this beautiful life. Just like that, we forget all of the good things we have done and the impact we have already made. We must remember to take it a day at a time and remember that progress is over perfection, always.

What is perfection? An unattainable vision we hold in our brains. We envision this world where we do everything right at every moment and we have everything we have ever wished for. If we keep striving for perfection, we would set ourselves up for failure and we may end up feeling inadequate. You can’t feel whole reaching for a goal that is unattainable. If you look for progression, you allow improvement and self-compassion into your life.

There are so many aspects of life that we have absolutely no control over. Circumstances can change at any point and life is completely unpredictable. When we understand that things can’t always go our way, we get closer to understanding progress over perfection. Someone very close to me told me, “Perfection means pass or fail”, and this truly made me think back on my entire life. I realized that my whole life, I have been treating my life as if it was an assignment I either failed or passed. The whole time, that isn’t an accurate way to look at life.

We live a long, yet short life and in this life, we learn different lessons daily by taking different actions. We may never be perfect, but it is even better to continue to learn and improve as a person. We must notice the small steps we take to being good to others, being kind to ourselves, being successful, and being happy overall with our lives. Progression in our lives is not linear, meaning it has its ups and downs. Sometimes we may have amazing days where things go according to plan and other days where it feels as if we are wandering and the rain is pouring. We must not be harsh on ourselves when it doesn’t go how we planned and show ourselves empathy.

It can be very harsh to expect perfection from yourself. It can lead to negative self talk and form self-limiting beliefs. It is important to understand that life is a long journey; making mistakes along the way is all part of the process. Focusing on your progress and making small steps helps your self-compassion and self-acceptance. It’s important to note the new skills you have developed, the obstacles you have already overcome, and how far you have came. As you work towards reaching your goals, reward yourself every step of the way. You are making huge efforts towards creating your dream life.

It’s dire that we embrace our imperfections and our bumps we pass along the road. If we didn’t face different challenges each day, would we even be a normal individual? Your story is what makes you unique and separates you from the rest of the world. Don’t apply unnecessary pressure on yourself by trying to live up to an unrealistic expectation. It’s hard enough to know that other people might doubt you or be harsh to you. Be that person to uplift yourself and be that safe space you always needed.

It can be easy to be stuck on the fact that we don’t have what we want right now or it is taking longer than we thought to reach our goals. We have to remember that just because it is taking longer than expected, it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. You are making progress and taking the necessary steps to get to where you need to be. Keep your head up and tell yourself “I can do anything I put my mind to and everything works out for me.” I also want you to say to yourself, “I am consistently taking steps towards my success and I am proud of myself.” I want you to actually say it out loud and continue until you believe it.

Our thoughts turn into our reality and when we think positively and move as if it is already ours, it will be ours. You are making progress daily and I am proud of you! Keep pushing, doing amazing, and show the world what you got.