Okay admit it. If you are not going to, I am. I am a perfectionist. There I said it.
As a working mother, there simply was no room for anything else. No compromises. The sheets have to be creaseless; the management report free of spelling errors; meals must be nutritious; kids must be dressed nicely; husbands must be kept happy; workmates must be kept impressed; the sales presentation must be professional; it must look effortless when entertaining friends, the house must be spotless and the food absolutely delish; I must look like I am Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey all rolled into one.
Back to earth, I think it is time I cut myself some slack. I can never be perfect, even though I should do my absolute best in everything I do, I can never be perfect. I am not meant to be perfect, that's why I need God. I am not meant to be perfect, that's why I don't have to be emotionally balanced all of the time. I am not meant to be perfect, that's why I make mistakes (is that even possible?).
Here are 10 ways how I give myself the permission to NOT be perfect. As I am not perfect, I fall down sometimes, trying to do some of these things.
- It is okay for the kids clothes not to match up nicely when we go out.
- It is okay to encounter difficulties managing a project at work; that's what they pay me for.
- It is okay that the food does not look like the food pictures in Nigella's cookbook.
- It is okay that the house is not spotless or the laundry is backed up.
- It is okay to say "No" to another church meeting. God is not counting.
- It is okay that Martha will never approve of the home made decorations for Christmas that look like roadkill.
- It is okay that I forgot about the conference call I was supposed to attend.
- It is okay that I cannot find what I need because my filing is not up to date.
- It is okay to freak out once in a while, making sure I don't do it too many times, irritating dear husband.
- Finally, it is okay not to have alphabetised cans in my larder.
Perhaps you should start writing your own list? Relax, it does not need to be perfect.
