Being Imperfect is Perfect

Now that January is done and dusted, we can finally breathe and release all the pressure we were putting on ourselves with goal setting and becoming perfect. There is no need to punish ourselves for slipping up on new habits, and definitely no need to force uncomfortable goals that may not align with our own lifestyle. January is already a challenging month; expecting ourselves to be perfect and transform our lives overnight is unnecessary stress and simply unrealistic.

Spring is just around the corner, and as we enter the last week of February, I am feeling less pressure, more optimistic, and refreshed. I am ready to reassess my attainable and positive goals and slowly make the changes that I feel will help me become the happiest version of myself; not feeling stressed or forced. It is more than okay to slow down, the year has only just begun, and we have plenty of time to achieve what we want to this year!

Aiming to be ‘perfect’ (particularly in the new year), feels as though we are bullying ourselves to live up to unrealistic expectations. No one’s life is perfect, and that is a beautiful thing. Being imperfect, making mistakes, growing in a non-linear way is, in fact, powerful and positive growth. Comparing our own lives to others, seeing other people achieving their goals or live their ‘perfect’ lifestyles can make us feel as though we are falling behind. Truthfully, we have no idea what a person is experiencing behind the scenes.

With all the highs of social media also comes comparison and a lack of honesty. It can make us feel as though we should be living a perfect life or looking and feeling a certain way. But we are already enough just as we are. And if you ever feel like you’re not, ask yourself, who are you comparing yourself to? Someone who carefully edits their photos or only shares the highlights of their life? Life isn’t perfect, and it isn’t meant to be. All we can do is make the most of each moment and look for the positives where we can. At the end of the day, we are all just floating through life trying to figure it out, day by day.

If life was perfect and had to be perfect for us to be happy, we would not be grateful for the small positive moments that contribute to our overall happiness. We also wouldn’t appreciate the messier moments, the ones that make us more thankful for what we have or help us see things in a different light. Every experience teaches us something, even if in the moment, it feels difficult to lift that lingering cloud and recognise the growth. Eventually though, you will.

Take those small steps each day to reach your goals; your goals, no one else’s. Hold yourself accountable, but don’t wrap yourself in a chain. Be kind to yourself. Get to know yourself and what makes you truly happy. Our end goal should be a positive mindset and focusing on the things that will bring you the most joy. We want to keep moving forward with our achievable goals and make ourselves proud, but not in an unkind, negative way where it becomes a chore and exhausting.

Let’s stop with the exhausting pressure of being perfect. Let’s be who we truly want to be; our most authentic selves. Make mistakes. Try your best. Step outside of your comfort zone. Feeling imperfect is part of the journey, and it’s actually beautiful. Without our imperfections and mistakes, we wouldn’t learn or grow. Learn to nurture yourself and embrace being imperfect because that in itself, is what’s perfect.

Written By Alice Abel