Progress, not perfection

Some days I sit down to my desk (yes, that’s my desk) and feel a little overwhelmed.

There’s so much to do and at the end of the day, it’s never finished.  Never.  It’s crazy.  Before I left my j.o.b. to start HeartStories, there were projects and deadlines.  When the date came, it was over.  I could wash my hands and be finished.

Not anymore.

When I cross five things off my to-do list, it seems like I add seven more.  Even though I’m doing work that matters so much to me, work that matters to others, it’s easy to catch myself thinking I’m not good enough.  I’m not strong enough.  I’m not organized enough.  Not experienced enough.  I’m too flawed.

Ironic, isn’t it?

I was listening to a podcast by my friend (and mommy mentor) Heather Chauvin the other day while I was getting ready for bed.   She was talking about holding space for our kids when they’re feeling (and behaving) out of control.  She talked about trying to demand control not being of service to anyone and that there are times we don’t even need to react.  Then there was this one thing she said.  I’ve heard it before, but in the context of parenting, it really hit me.

Progress, not perfection.  

That just got real.  It wasn’t about only my parenting anymore.  It was about me and my expectations of myself.   She said that when kids are out of control, they want to know they’re going to be safe and everything is going to be okay.

They want to know they’re enough.

It turns out moms want to know they’re enough too.  And so do college students, and young professionals and middle school girls and 40-year-old entrepreneurs.   There are times we all need to be reminded that everything is going to be okay.  We simply need to keep moving forward, making progress.

I don’t know what you’re in the middle of today, but I hope you hear me loud and clear.

You’re enough.

Everything is going to be okay.  It really is.

It’s never going to be ‘perfect’, but it will be okay.

Just keep moving forward.

You’ve got this. 

to more love,

Crystal