Once I came to my senses and realized that trying to be a perfectionist wasn’t actually a good thing, something I no longer aspired to, I fully embraced being wildly imperfect! In fact, I even went out and bought a bright yellow sweatshirt, with “Perfectly Imperfect” printed boldly across my chest. There was nowhere for me to hide now! From that point onwards I began openly recognizing my imperfections and acknowledged them with pride.
Let’s Have a Closer Look at Perfectly Imperfect
I’m sleeping in an unmade bed tonight because I was too tired to make the bed…but I did wash the sheets and hang them out on the line today!
I was late picking my daughters up from school today…but I did finish a big work project that has caused me grief all week!
The kitchen is a disaster and the sink piled to the top with dirty dishes…but I did make a delicious homemade dinner tonight for the first time in ages!
These Shocking Statistics Demonstrate Why We Feel Imperfect:
- Nearly three quarters of 2,000 mothers studied felt they lived their lives entirely for other people.
- Another three quarters of those 2,000 mothers said, even in quiet moments by themselves they can never fully relax if they knew there were jobs outstanding.
- Women employed full-time spend 4.9 hours per day in unpaid household and care work for 22 percent more time than men, and women employed part-time spend 6.6 hours per day in unpaid household and care work for 58 percent more time than men.
- A full 80 percent of working moms feel stressed about getting everything done.
Sound familiar, ladies? You are not alone.
However, instead of focusing on what we’re not getting done, why don’t we recognize what we are doing?? Let’s celebrate our wins, even if they feel small and inconsequential to us, I assure you they are not! In the words of Brittany Burgunder, Whatever you did today is enough. That’s right. I’ll say it again.
WHAT YOU DID TODAY WAS ENOUGH.
Now it’s your turn to say it. WHAT I DID TODAY WAS ENOUGH.
Say it every night before you go to bed. Put it on post-it notes around your house. Write it in lipstick on your bathroom mirror. Staple it to your forehead. Say it morning, noon and night.
It’s not about accepting mediocrity, it’s about recognizing your accomplishments. Recognizing what you Did Do, because it is human nature to recognize what you did not. I got one load of laundry done instead of the three I wanted, but that’s better than no laundry at all! My family and made mostly healthy food choices and spent time outside in the sunshine. I did good. What I did today was enough. In fact, what I did today was pretty fucking awesome.
At times I think I was my own worst enemy, self-inflicting needless criticism for my perceived failures. When I stopped being so hard on myself, and started recognizing my accomplishments and accepting my perfectly imperfect, my life started to shift. That is what self care looks like. Stop being so hard on yourself, and start showing yourself some compassion. Stop comparing yourself to others on social media, and realize you are doing enough. The ultimate act of self-care is being kind to oneself. It is a mindset. A mindset shift. One Step at a Time.
Create your List of Double D’s
The old me was an expert of the To-Do List. However, the new me is a master of what I call my Did Do List, or for short, my Double D’s. Each night before bed, I look back on my day and think about everything I did, everything my daughters and I did together, be it work or play and everything in between. Then I write them down. A Saturday might look something like this.
Today: meditate, family bike ride, listened to music, bought groceries, brushed the dog, took out the garbage and recycling, weeded part of the garden, movie night.
Some work and some play; and all very worthy and valuable to our life.
What was your perfectly imperfect, your “enough” today? What were your “did do’s”, your Double D’s?
Think about it, write it down, share it with a friend, tell your partner, or cherish it yourself and truly give yourself credit and appreciate what you did do today.
Get your free worksheet here to start keeping track of your Did-Do’s, your Double D’s!
What I did today was enough.
What I do tomorrow will be enough.
One load of laundry.
One chapter.
One meal.
One cup of coffee.
One Step at a Time.
Please comment below and share your thoughts with this community of female peers and like minded women! Forward to a friend or woman you believe would find value in these words…Together we are stronger.
