Why We're Embracing 'Good Enough'
Oh hey, it's Friday afternoon and to be honest it hasn't been the most productive of days. Meetings, calls and errands have meant that most of our to-do list has ended up unticked and uncompleted. But instead of beating ourselves up about it, we're going to move those tasks to Monday's list, and cut ourselves some slack. Some days are just less fruitful than others.
Which is what we want to talk about today: the fact that, whether we like it or not, things don't always turn out as planned. And that that's ok. This post is all about embracing 'good enough', rather than feeling bad about all the 'should's and 'could's that slipped through.
In many aspects of our lives we can find ourselves with unrealistic expectations. Our kids will be the only teenagers not to break the rules and we will never yell at them about their phones; our boss will reward our hard work if we just put in ever more extra hours; our house could look just like that one on Instagram if only we paint the entire place and buy a whole lot of new furniture and get rid of the muddy dog. But wait. This striving for perfection is exhausting. And it's not good for anyone.
Our kids don't need us to be perfect (which is great, because the perfect parent doesn't exist). They need us to give them space to flourish as individuals, to be free to grow without feeling stifled by our ideas of perfection or intimidating expectations.
At work we need to learn to say no to things that aren't possible, to have the confidence to ask for help if we need it, to recognise that others might be struggling and offer them the same advice. Good enough is, well, good enough. Yes, it's a wonderful feeling when you finish writing the best speech you've given, or close a major sale. But some days will just be slower, flatter, more muddling-along type days. This is ok.
Whilst we love browsing magazines and social media for interior decoration inspiration, it's also important to remember that what we are seeing is a heavily edited version of someone's reality. We don't see the hours of preparation and styling involved in the picture, or the piles of clutter that have been dumped just out of shot. We can take ideas and advice from other people, but we need to remember that our house only needs to be nice enough, or tidy enough.
The same goes for that elaborate birthday cake you want to copy from Pinterest or the complicated craft tutorial you've saved from a blog. It is highly possible that your Hungry Caterpillar cake will end up looking more like a sad slug. Don't sweat, the kids won't care. If you don't have time to cook from scratch every night, don't feel guilty. Just make sure that whatever you buy in is healthy and good enough.
Sometimes the 'best' isn't actually what we need. In falling into the trap of constantly seeking to have/ be better or more we can forget to look at where we actually are. Let's take notice of the quieter, everyday moments that have value in themselves or may teach us something. Often it's the process and the journey that holds the pleasure. The pursuit of perfection is pointless and only ends up making you feel terrible. Failing, or failing a bit, is nothing to be afraid of.
So, in honour of 'good enough' tonight we will be having store-bought pizzas, taking a long bath and saving the piles of laundry for tomorrow. For today, that's just fine. Give yourself permission to make this weekend good enough, rather than perfect. You'll probably enjoy it a whole lot more.
