The Grace To Be Imperfect

Yesterday I wrote how now, just 1 week into the New Year, nearly 25% of people have already given up on their Resolutions.

Part of the reason why is indeed that many people don't make it Easy enough.

However, there is another large obstacle that looms over many Individuals.

In this first week, they have already messed up.

They wanted to work out 5 days and only hit 3 days.

They said no more sweets but indulged in a doughnut from the box someone brought to the office.

They told themselves they would have a project completed, only for it to have taken longer than anticipated.

They wanted to make 10 sales and only got 5.

Now, if you think that "Failure" is the problem that is looming, you misunderstand me.

Failure at anything is not inherently the end of the world.

No, the problem that is Looming over so many right now is that they don't give themselves the Grace to be Human.

They don't give themselves the Grace to be Imperfect.

I get it, I've been there more often than I'd like to admit.

I've fallen into the mud, on my face.

I've skidded across hard surfaces leaving scrapes and scars.

I've aimed and missed the mark completely.

I'm human too.

However, we forget that there is a difference between "Progress" and "Perfection".

So you wanted to work out 5 days and only hit 3 days.

It may not have been a perfect 5/5 days, but 3 days of Progress is still better than 0.

So you may have indulged in that doughnut.

You didn't keep to a diet perfectly, but 4 days of a better diet is still better than 0.

So the project didn't get completed.

You're still further than you would have been if you never started.

So you didn't hit your sales goals.

But you are still making Progress.

The Journey of 10,000 Miles begins with a Single Step - that's Progress.

You may misstep along the way, and that's ok!

You're Human!

Don't give up what Progress you've made over a misstep!

You'll never get anywhere if you give up at the beginning of the Journey.

If you misstep, you have the ability to Learn!

You have the ability to Adapt!

You have the ability to Grow!

Don't stop the Momentum that you already started!

The thing about Momentum is that it is difficult to start, and requires extra Effort, but it begins to get easier and easier as you keep going.

If you've started the Momentum, now is NOT the time to give up!

Keep going, keep pushing!

You may have fallen, but that doesn't mean you're done!

There is a Reward that you are after, and when you get to it you'll find that it is Sweeter than you could have imagined!

But if you don't continue forward, the Reward will always be a thing you "could" have had.

In the long wrong, if you don't continue forward, you'll Regret it.

People on their deathbeds rarely ever talk about regretting whatever they did in Life.

But on their deathbed, they ALWAYS talk about regretting everything they DIDN'T do that they had hoped for.

The Journey you are on will be Imperfect, and filled with missteps and Challenges.

But that is a part of Progress!

You will only keep making Progress when you realize that you are Human.

Understand that it is alright for these things to happen in Life, that they are a normal part of our Experience.

Give yourself the Grace to be Human, and to be able to continue to Progress despite the missteps.

Give yourself the Grace to be Imperfect.