Lace Up and Go!
Waiting for perfection will keep you stuck in place
Look at the runner in this picture. What’s she thinking about? She’s dressed for the race, her running shoes are on, and the starting blocks are at her feet. If nothing changes, the starter’s gun will go off, and the other runners will take off while she thinks about it. She’s stuck in place!
Have you ever been there? I have fought this my entire life. I have a propensity toward perfectionism, even though I know it doesn’t serve me. Even as I write this post, I’m fighting the urge to edit as I go. I want to find the perfect way, the right path, so I don’t have to rework anything. If I stay where I am and keep going in the same direction, I’ll get the same results. I don’t want the same results I’ve had in the past, do you?
I’m working on retraining my brain. I write daily in electronic or written form. Some days, it may be, “I don’t know what to write about today.” I’m reminded of the words of the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who said, “Well begun is half done.” It can be motivating to get started and make even a little progress. At that point, we’re no longer waiting to begin. We begin to prove to ourselves that we can do it.
Pick one thing you want to try that you’ve always dreamed about. Do you want to be a writer? Then write. Do you want to learn the guitar? Then play. What small step could you take today to get out of the starting blocks, to stop letting life happen to you and instead create the future you want? Today is your day to move!
I wish you much inspiration this week. Perhaps this is the week a dream will reveal itself to you and change your future. Let’s get moving!
My main goal with Substack is to practice letting go of perfectionism! This is a big one for me… but 41 weeks into it, I’m happy to report that it’s getting somewhat easier. I’ve been posting consistently for 41 weeks, while working on a book and raising teenagers as a single mother. No room for perfectionism…