Dear friend,
There is a degree of chaos, mystery, and beauty that’s natural to life. When we try to systematize, track, and measure everything we lose the spark, the passion, the reason we started doing this work in the first place.
Just a few weeks ago, I noticed I was spending a lot of time on my website. I don’t want to tell you how many hours I spent picking templates, finding the right photos, etc.
Not a good use of my time! Seriously.
I wanted everything to be perfect. But this is not how great songs are written. This is not how healthy ecosystems mature. If we all waited until things were perfect, we’d miss out on a lot of the beautiful mistakes. And we might miss out on our lives.
Because you want to be successful at what’s important to you – but not at the expense of the rest of your life.
What else are you missing out on because all your energy is going into perfecting one thing? Sure, planning is important. Cultivating skill is important. (Most of us appreciate some degree of refined excellence.) But, a thriving ecosystem is not created by growing a perfect tomato plant.
If you’ve ever spent time in nature you’ve seen the intricate, messy beauty of how life grows. If you’ve ever danced for hours, you know that breakthroughs often happen when we least expect it.
So here’s what I’m learning: if you’re not getting the results you want in one area of your life, it might be helpful to look at the ecosystem you’re creating for your whole life.
Where might you put some attention to support the whole system to thrive?
For me, this looks like setting aside “perfect” for good enough. It looks like leaving things a little messy. And focusing on what’s more important.
Sometimes perfect is the enemy of thriving.
Whether you are starting a new business, making your art, making the leap to do what you love, or bringing your ideas to your staff meeting.
Are you willing to let your life be messy, imperfect, and… human?
Love,
Mary
P.S. I’d love to support you. Please share this with changemakers you know… Get a complimentary 60min strategy session with me until April 5th.
*Recently posted in Mary Shindler Coaching newsletter.
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