Embracing Imperfection

Today's post is nothing fancy but it is intended to be that way.  No profound thought or deep devotional.  Not even a picture that matches the topic of the post just right!  And really, that's the point of today's post!

So many times I am paralyzed by my perfectionism.  I don't begin a project or learn to do something new because I want to wait until I can do it really well.  I put off housework if I can't do it all completely and thoroughly.  And often times, I discover that in putting off what I cannot do perfectly, I am in essence choosing to not do anything at all!

I am beginning to understand the concept of embracing imperfection.  Today I mopped my kitchen floor.  However I did not mop it by traditional definition.  There was no mop, no bucket, no scrub brush, and I didn't even get on my hands and knees.  I swept the kitchen then walked from the back of the kitchen to the front, spraying cleaner on the dirty spots and then wiping it up with a wet rag with my foot.  Some spots were fairly stubborn and I decided I will wipe away a little more of them next week, but for now I am content that they have at least been swiped over.  There was a time in my life that I would have been appalled by anyone who suggested that this method actually counted as mopping my floor.  But now I am learning that, in the words of Fly Lady, "Housework done incorrectly still blesses my family."  No I'm not flying gung ho into another system of housecleaning but I am letting some words of wisdom that I've heard many times finally begin to sink in.

Even in blogging, I find myself stopped by perfectionism.  Several times this week I have wanted to write a post about life here at Gentility, but have put it off because I can't make a spiritual connection to what is just a cute story about one of my children or because I need to make it longer or add a scripture verse to it.  I haven't entered the writing challenges on Faith Writers because, like Tiger Woods' attitude towards golf tournaments, I don't want to enter unless I think I can win.

To counteract this tendency toward perfectionism, I'm posting today about this struggle of mine.  I haven't come to any great epiphany other than realizing that I struggle with this.  I don't have a profound piece of scripture to connect to it.  I don't even have a plan of action for how to deal with it.  I've just decided to do what I can when I can for who I can for as long as I can - or something like that - it's a quote from John Wesley and if I wanted to be perfect I would look it up online and provide the link to a biography about his life when you clicked on his name.  Instead I will trust that you get the idea I'm trying to express and let go of the need to be perfect.  How about you? Do you NEED to be perfect?  Join me in embracing imperfection.  Let go of the need to do it just right and just do it!