today doesn't have to be perfect

[matsushima]

It's past sunset here. I slept most of the day away after running a few errands in the morning. (I had charms to burn and charms to buy.)

I know we all want to begin as we mean to go on but I want to remind everyone that if January 1, 2025 was not perfect - if you resolved to change out of your pajamas every day but didn't even get out of bed, if your goal is to read 100 books this year but you were too tired by the time you got home, any little (or big) way you felt like you "failed" today - it's OK. Today does not have to be any more important than the other 364 days this year. It is not a sign of bad things to come if you, for example, dropped your crepe and got hot sugar butter all over yourself and your clothes and had to walk home covered in sticky goop. *ahem*

I have OCD and one of my "things" is significant dates. If you have similar anxieties and struggles, this is a reminder that today doesn't have to be perfect. If you're having a really rough start to your year, you can tell yourself that you're getting your bad luck out of the way early. You can pick a date and say "the year doesn't really start until [Tolkien Day (January 3), Epiphany/Three Kings Day (January 6), Earth's Rotation Day (January 8), Appreciate a Dragon Day (January 16), etc.]" to give yourself some slack.

Finally, don't forget that "good enough is good enough" and "perfect is the enemy of good."

Comments

[abyssal_sylph]

This would've been fantastic for my younger self to hear. IDK if this adds anything, but doing it late is still better then nothing. Even if you end up "failing" or only doing it in part, the attempt still means something & you should still be proud of that.

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

I tell people that if they aim to do 50 things but only finish 3, that's probably still 3 they wouldn't have done without setting that goal. It's progress.

Thank you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

This is beautiful and I hope it provides plenty of encouragement to everyone who needs to hear it. :D

[barbaratp]

Feliz Ano Novo e wow sua publicação parece que veio na hora certa para mim. Ainda estou tentando voltar ao meu "normal" depois de uma convalescença horrível que tenho passado nos últimos meses. Às vezes parece que nada faz sentido, que não importa o quanto eu queira ou tente as coisas não mudam. E eu me cobro tanto que é como se meu corpo não melhorasse só para ser do "contra à minha vontade". Então eu agradeço ler isso, ajuda muito saber que às vezes as coisas não estão sob o nosso controle e o perfeito nem sempre é o bom u.u

[jake67jake]

It is definitely hard to start "work" on a holiday! We don't go back til Friday and that is really my #1 day.

I need to post "Perfect is the opposite of good" at my desks and in my planner!