Is Perfection Holding You Back from Progress?
Today I want to talk about perfection with goal setting.
I have fallen into this trap time and time again. I will set a goal, say for exercise. If I’m lucky enough to find an afternoon where my two youngest kids are napping at the same time, I’ll find myself saying… “I ‘should’ exercise now, but I don’t have an hour, so what’s the point?”
Here’s the point:
Five minutes of exercise is still five minutes of exercise. (Spoiler: 5 > 0) Reading for two minutes instead of ten is still reading for two minutes. (2 > 0) Too late to make it to your intense spin class? A walk will still get your blood pumping, give you a burst of energy, and bring down blood sugar. Eating a lunch meat sandwich and carrot sticks might not feel like a “meal plan” type of meal, but some nights, it might be just what you need to avoid eating out before soccer practice. And guess what? It’s a completely balanced meal with 3 food groups.
Doing nothing is not going to get me closer to where I want to be.
These little things done over and over and over again are what will help. Chipping away bit by bit.
Maybe I don’t ever have a full hour to exercise anymore. But, I probably have several times during the day when I can get five minutes.
I’ve learned with this type of thinking, I have to just let go of my “ideal” and settle for my “actual.” And that’s okay.
We all have different seasons in our life where certain things are more important.
Right now, I’m in a season where a few minutes to myself and getting enough sleep are most important.
So, dinner might be sandwiches or chicken strips a little more than I would like. I know that once I’m consistently getting more sleep, things will change. I’ll have more energy to put thought into homemade meals. My baby will have a more consistent wake-up time and I’ll get back into my morning workouts (even if it is just 5 minutes on those really tired mornings).
But if I do nothing – I’ll feel even worse off than before.
So, how will you decrease your perfection? I’d love to hear about it.
If you find yourself struggling with perfection with food and eating, please reach out. You don’t have to struggle alone.
Wishing all of you a Happy New Year!