I spoke with a friend the other day who was bemoaning that he’d not accomplished what he had intended during this crisis. He’d created a long list of projects and ideas that would bring him a level of satisfaction when completed.
“The day just goes”, he said, wondering why he hadn’t been able to cross much off his list.
“Is there anything you have accomplished, since you created your grand plan?” I asked.
“Well, I started cleaning out the garage—I’m about a third of the way through. And I’m in the middle of a book I’ve been trying to get to for months. Oh, and I am walking about three miles a day, weather permitting.”
“Sounds like you’re moving forward.” I said.
“Yeah, but I should be doing better.”
Instead of celebrating the victories, no matter the size and scope, some of us tend only to see what we haven’t accomplished.
While I am not nutritionally endorsing this analogy, it’s like focusing on the hole instead of the donut.
Give yourself a break, will ya? We are not machines. We are not perfect. We don’t need to size everything up as wins or loses.
It’s about making efforts, no matter how small. It’s about acknowledging our human-ness and our imperfection. It’s about trying to find peace and satisfaction with whatever progress we do make and comfort with the decision to put things off when it doesn’t feel right.
Be good to yourself.
Cheers,
Michael
