Embracing Imperfection: Lessons from a Messy Week

Okay… this might be the worst picture of me ever, but it’s also one of my favorites. My kids were there in the early morning, cheering me on as I hit publish on my very first blog post. Imperfect, messy, and oh-so-special.

This week has been a whirlwind, filled with moments of chaos, some wins, and a few big mom fails. But it reminded me of an important lesson: progress, not perfection, is what truly matters. I am trying hard to keep my commitments to myself and the goals I have set for building my business while working full-time and raising four kids with my wonderful husband. My “why” has kept me motivated to push through, but I’m exhausted.

Tonight, I’m taking some deep breaths and appreciating all I have accomplished this week. This doesn’t come easy to me. Just last night, I was stressed out trying to transition from my 9-to-5 job, feed my kids, and meet my commitment to post on social media for my business. Social media is definitely outside my wheelhouse and comfort zone — I’m facing some real fears here. And Instagram didn’t disappoint. It may just be me, but creating a reel is really hard! I followed my own advice (which was literally staring me in the face) by breaking down the content and visuals for “5 Steps to Push Past Fear and Take Action.” If I’m being honest, by 10:15 PM I might have told those “5 Steps” to pound sand. But I pushed through and posted my first reel. (Okay, so really I posted my first reel four times because of one issue or another.)

Was it perfect? No; not even close. But it was a learning experience, and the next one will be a little easier.

Fast forward to this afternoon. I was juggling a busy life — I know you can relate. I had it all planned out: I’d virtually attend an important meeting and get my daughter to her doctor’s appointment on time. I’m a professional mom — I’ve got this. Right up until I left my work phone on my desk. We were already running late, and I couldn’t turn around to get my phone without missing the last appointment of the day.

In the end, my daughter got her treatment. I was able to join the meeting ten minutes late, with some inconvenience to a peer (thankfully, she’s amazing). I was still feeling really stressed over it when my mom called. She told me she received our family holiday card. Yay, right? Right up until she told me that one of my children’s names was on the card twice, and one was completely missing.

The tears instantly welled up in my eyes. Here I thought I was holding it all together, and I left my son’s name off our holiday card — and mailed it to about 80 people. Who does that? How did I not notice? Seriously? Normally, this would send me into a downward spiral of self-deprecation, shame, and “not-enoughness” (is that even a word?).

Here’s the thing: I can’t take the cards back. I can’t magically fix it. What I can do is remind myself of a lesson I need often. I need to slow down. I need to pause and focus on what is in front of me. And I need to give myself some grace.

It won’t serve me to dwell on it. In this case, I am truly embracing imperfection. My family will likely get some great laughs over it. Through all this, I realized I need to pause, breathe, and extend myself some grace. Here’s what this week taught me: progress matters far more than perfection.

Let’s get back to my evening of celebrating. Hey, I did get those cards addressed and mailed in time for family and friends to receive them before the holiday. I did post my first blog. I did post on social media. I made great connections. And I am energized to keep moving forward and living my purpose.

What about you? When was the last time you had to embrace imperfection and laugh at yourself? I’d love to hear your story in the comments. Here’s to grace, growth, and progress — one imperfect step at a time.