Why I Stopped Expecting Perfection

Allowing yourself grace is crucial to staying sane, and that is why I stopped expecting perfection from myself.

If you are a mom, you probably have a long “to-do list.” From taking care of your kids, yourself, your home, your job, hobbies, and more, it is easy to feel overwhelmed.

I quickly learned to allow myself grace in this walk of motherhood to survive.

It is not easy, but life becomes more manageable once you learn the basics. Here are some areas where I have learned how to show myself grace and be okay with achieving the bare minimum.

Five things to do instead of expecting perfection:

1. “We are not striving for spotlessly clean, but we want people to know slobs don’t live here.” There are days when there is not enough time to clean how we would like. Although I would love to clean the walls, baseboards, underneath the couch, behind the stove, and declutter the whole house, that is only sometimes possible. Cleaning dishes exactly when we need them clean is not always possible. However, I can quickly straighten up the house before moving to the next task, and I have learned to be okay with that instead of beating myself up for it. Making the goal “We are not slobs” versus “We live in a spotless house” relieves my stress and unrealistic expectations.
2. Ease your way into your goals! If you have yet to work out or get your kids to bed on time, don’t set a goal that takes you zero to one hundred. Instead of saying I will work out every day when you have a history of not working out, start with twice a week, and once you have done that for a few weeks, then move up! There is no shame in starting slow and gradually building up over time!
3. Shorten that “To-do list!” If you are anything like me, you make to-do lists, but it has fifty million things to do, and it says, “Today to-do list.” Shorten your list and prioritize what NEEDS to get done immediately. A smaller to-do list will also help you stress less, knowing you have more time to complete specific tasks. Expecting to complete everything on your to-do list is an excellent goal when the expectation is realistic.
4. Recognize your growth! We accomplish so much daily but ignore our accomplishments and focus on what we did not get done. You are doing fantastic! Not every day, but very productive. Some days will get away from you, but as long as you grow, that is all that matters! Getting rest is still growing! You can only put your best foot forward if you care for yourself.
5. Take it one moment at a time. Before you start trying to map out your schedule for the next few weeks, pause. It’s okay to stop and enjoy the sun, listen to the rain, or silence while in your car. You’re not always guaranteed a bonus nap from your kids, a canceled client, a free cooked meal, or whatever the break opportunity presents itself. Pause and live in the moment.

Striving for perfection is okay, but beating yourself up when you don’t reach it is not. Remove. You are human, and doing your best can be enough!

Finally, in all that you do, remember the phrase “Progress, not perfection.”