I first started writing this post back in November 2021. As you can see, we\u2019re well past that time and yet what I have to say is probably more relevant for me now than it was even then. Since 2020, my life has had so many twists and turns. Some I was eager for and some I dreaded. Some things came unexpectedly but led the way to new experiences and challenges that, ultimately, I benefitted from in ways I couldn\u2019t have imagined before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I do not know how much time I will have to live this life, but as I live it I want to be intentional in all that I do – at the very least more often than not. And as I continue on this journey, one thing that remains constant is that change is inevitable. Not only the changes that I experience but the changes within myself. To live is to be a work in progress. A work in improvement? But no. Progress isn\u2019t linear and improvement isn\u2019t always necessary. So that\u2019s why I\u2019d rather say a work in progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For this to be bearable a few things are needed: patience, grace, empathy, and kindness. These things you give to yourself<\/strong><\/em>. I used to lament having to start over or having to course change when it wasn\u2019t my choice but sometimes – oftentimes<\/em> – the change was for the best. New perspectives gained and experience and understanding deepened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m writing this as I come out of unemployment and as I continue to heal from burnout incurred from years of navigating deeply toxic work environments. The me today isn\u2019t the same as the me that began writing this post back in 2021 nor is she the same as the me from only a few months ago. I continue to grow, challenge, and change. It\u2019s a beautiful thing that should be embraced and not dreaded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So how do<\/em> you do<\/em> it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Easier said than done, but realizing that perfection is only an ideal not an actuality. I like the concept of optimalism. The work of Angela Duckworth, psychologist and popular science author behind the book Grit The Power of Passion and Perseverance<\/em>, helped me to articulate this in very helpful ways. If you can acknowledge that there is room for improvement and that often times \u201cdone is better than perfect\u201d then you\u2019re on your way to breaking free of the shackles of perfectionism. It will be on going process so give yourself grace. Sometimes we use perfectionism as a shield, but often it does more harm than good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can accept failure as part of the journey and that it isn\u2019t a bad seven letter word you\u2019ll go far. You\u2019ll become more resilient meaning you\u2019ll be willing to keep trying and improving. Failure is a requirement<\/strong><\/em> and it doesn\u2019t always look like what you think. If success is relative then so too is failure. Charlie Gilkey has some excellent perspectives on embracing and managing failure in his book Start Finishing<\/em>. I highly recommend this book to anyone who finds themselves stagnant or immobilized in their efforts to pursue and achieve their goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Check in with yourself regularly and keep your skills up. On days when you just can\u2019t seem to bring yourself to do high level work, practice the foundational things. Learning an instrument? Practice your scales. Starting to market yourself or a product? Practice your elevator pitch. Learning a language? Go over your vocabulary. Keep the skills you\u2019ve worked diligently to develop sharp by engaging in small ways when you feel limited by your schedule or lack the energy And when you are feeling like you can take on more then do that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s okay to mourn the way things could have gone, what you could have achieved if only things went the way you hoped. When you fail, when you pivot, when you must change directions whether it is by choice or circumstance, grief will happen even if you are stepping into a change you wanted. It\u2019s okay to reflect just don\u2019t dwell in that for too long. What\u2019s coming next will need your full attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is how you learn about yourself, how you learn what you like and what you\u2019re capable of, what you dislike, and where you are pulled. Don\u2019t put any requirement on it beyond doing fun things. Indulge in the things that put a smile on your face and if you aren\u2019t sure what those are – then your mission is to try new things so you can discover what they are. Play is critical to a fulfilling life so make sure you make plenty time to do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n You are not in your final form because there is no such thing. You are a beautiful wonderful mess: a work in progress, and still a work of art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Photo by Chris Lawton<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I first started writing this post back in November 2021. As you can see, we\u2019re well past that time and yet what I have to say is probably more relevant for me now than it was even then. Since 2020, my life has had so many twists and turns. Some I was eager for and some I dreaded. Some things came unexpectedly but led the way to new experiences and challenges that, ultimately, I benefitted from in ways I couldn\u2019t have imagined before.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1052,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-little-notes"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n1 Reject Perfectionism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2 Embrace\/Accept Failure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3 Stay Ready – Keep Practicing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4 Leave Room for Grief<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5 Make Time for Play and Exploration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n