Progress, not perfection

Thank you guys for all your support, I know my last post was a bit of a downer but your comments really got the wheels turning in this old noggin of mine and I have to say I'm feeling much better.

I've been thinking a lot lately about what it is that gets me down and I've decided that one of my biggest problems is comparison. Not just comparing to other people (though that is something I majorly need to work on), but also comparing myself to this preconceived notion of what I "should" be like. Everybody knows there's no such thing as perfection, and yet I think many of us have unrealistic expectations of what we think we should be achieving.

So this week I've really tried to focus on PROGRESS rather than PERFECTION. Because really, I don't think we ever get to the point where we're totally satisfied with ourselves (I don't always like it, but I think part of life is that we're supposed to keep learning until the day we die). But I do think we can learn to be content with the fact that we're doing our best. Even if some days our best isn't so great.

Sure, there are lots of things I'd like to change...

• I wish I were more organized, but hey, my house is still under construction and yet I'm much more organized than I was a year ago
• I wish I were a better cook, but again, at least I make dinner and eat it too
• I wish I were a better friend and more outgoing, but you know, I socialize a heck of a lot more than I used to and I no longer feel such a need to put on my happy face when I'm around others. I think experience has helped me learn to be genuine and real with people and I know in time I'll get better at reaching out.
• I wish I were more productive with my time, but really, is there anything better than just cuddling with your baby and cherishing the moments that pass so fast? There will always be more laundry and cleaning to do and on those super-human days I can go running and shopping and reorganize the house and whip up a new recipe and maybe even find time to take some cookies to the neighbors as well. But on those other days (which are definitely the majority) I am going to try to relax and not beat myself up for needing the down time.
  

The ironic thing is that as soon as I stop worrying so much about what I'm NOT doing I have so much more energy to actually get out and do the things I WANT to do. I think one of life's biggest challenges is learning to balance being content with also striving to be better. I'm not exactly sure how to get to that point, but I do know that being hard on yourself just makes you miserable without achieving either one.

*Ok, I was just looking through some of my old blog posts and I realized I wrote an almost identical post (it even has the same title) not too long ago. I must be losing my mind, or maybe this is just something I really need to work on? Either way, sorry for the repetition!