It’s Impossible to Be Perfect, but You Shouldn’t Stop Trying

My kids are spoiled and ungrateful. I should have been harder on them when they were younger. I'm too hard on my kids; maybe I should ease up a little.

I'm taking too much time for myself, and my family and friends are feeling neglected. I'm not making enough time for myself, I'm burnt out and don't feel like doing anything.

My house is gross; I need to spend more time cleaning. I'm spending too much time cleaning my house and not enough time living life.

I'm doing horribly in school; I need to focus this year. My grades are fantastic, but I have no social life, I should get out more.

I'm upset that I let myself go, I need to get to the gym more and start eating healthy. My significant other is annoyed because I'm spending all my time in the gym and I'm tired of depriving myself of things that I like to eat.

I need to make more money to keep up with all the things we want to do and provide for my family. I don't ever see my family because I'm too busy working, I need to focus on being present more.

Have you ever had these kinds of thoughts? I know I have, all the time. The reality is, it will never be perfect. You will never please everyone all the time, including yourself.

That doesn't mean you should stop trying. Life is a little like sailing a boat on the open seas. You'll want to check your map frequently and pay attention to changing conditions around you. You'll have to navigate through storms, learn to pay attention so you can prepare for and avoid them when possible or at least survive them. You may even find that you come to enjoy them and they make you appreciate the beautiful days even more, but don't get too complacent, that's how ships sink.

When you notice you've gone too far in one direction, adjust your sails and correct your course. You can try out our balance workbook to quiz yourself on seven core areas of life that need to stay in balance if you're not quite sure if you're on target or not.

You'll need to adjust your course regularly to make the journey if you want to reach a particular destination. Don't beat yourself up or quit because you've gone off course or hit yet another storm; that is just part of the journey.

Life will never be perfect, but that's ok, perfect only exist in fairy tales. You can have a terrific life though so don't give up trying to make it better. Adjust your sails, correct your trajectory, and enjoy this journey we call life.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash