Done is better than perfect.
~Sheryl Sandberg
I don’t feel good. Like I’m actually the sick kind of not feeling good. My throat hurts. My ears burn. I have a headache. I feel like I am functioning in a fog. I’m moving at quarter speed. And, of course, I have a lot to do– stuff with deadlines. Figures.
I don’t feel good so everything is seeming bigger and more serious than it really is. I’m worried about my dog whose leg is hurt and it seems like something might be wrong with his eye. My kids are hyper and bugging the crap out of each other (and me, if I’m being honest). They have resisted my attempts to get them to sit down and watch 6 hours worth of movies. They are at this moment screaming as they are playing (???) in the basement and my head is throbbing. It’s clearly been a stellar parenting day.
I haven’t wanted to think about making dinner (or lunch or breakfast…). So I decided to order pizza so I wouldn’t have to do anything extra or go anywhere. After I ordered and paid for the pizza online, they called me and said they didn’t have enough drivers and I would have to pick the pizza up, which defeated the whole point of ordering pizza in the first place.
I have cried 3 times already today. First, when my son told me he loved me even if he got sick because of me. Second, when I started to get really worried about my dog, even though I know he’s ok and it’s nothing too serious. And third, when my kids were watching that movie Home and that little alien guy got killed. He wasn’t even really dead and I knew that because I’ve seen the movie before. But the music was really sad and everything seemed really sad. Basically, I am feeling fragile.
Plus, I couldn’t think of anything to blog about. None of my ideas felt good. Everything sounded dumb. I was not able to decide on anything because nothing was good enough. Nothing. Was. Good. Enough. Aaahhhh– what to write about:
Things don’t always have to be perfect– good enough can be totally fine. Sometimes it’s better to just get it done and move on and not stress about it not being good enough.
Sometimes good enough IS perfect.
It’s probably obvious that I’m not just talking about my blog at this point. I’m talking about life. I came across a quote awhile ago by Sheryl Sandberg: “Done is better than perfect.” I’ve always loved it. I have kept it close because I tend to be one of those it’s-not-done-until-it’s-perfect kind of gals. When I first saw that quote I felt this wave of relief. It was like someone was giving me permission to not have it be just right All. Of. The. Time.
The problem is that this is a particular piece of advice I have a hard time remembering. And when that happens, I usually get sick. Or something comes up to thwart my fabulous plans. Or I realize the kids need my attention at that moment more than my deadlines do. When I forget this nugget of truth, I get reminded. And for that I’m grateful.
Today I needed that reminder. Today I needed to give myself permission to just get by. I’m still feeling fragile and it’s possible I’ll cry again and I really do hate being sick. But everything happens for a reason and maybe I’m not the only one that needs this particular reminder today. Maybe you need the reminder that you have permission to not have it be “just right” all of the time, too.
So where do you need to give yourself permission to not be perfect? Where do you need to give yourself a break? Cut yourself some slack? Just get it done and move on? Where can you practice a little done-is-better-than-perfect…?
P.S. I ended the day watching Cars (it didn’t make me cry) with my son. Good enough really CAN be perfect :o)
