One of the biggest struggles I've had in my life is the battle between progress and perfection. So today I want to share a little bit about my story and what happens when you work through these blocks.

It always feels amazing when you finally push past a limit in life. It's like the flood gates open and everything is in flow. But life wasn't always this way for me. Perfection was something that always held me back in life. For many years in almost every area of life I felt stuck. Even when I tried to reach my health goals, I wasn't satisfied. I never stopped to smell the roses and I found myself always feeling like I could make my body better and better never getting to that end result that I could be happy with. I knew that in reality "perfect" didn't exist, but for some reason I was still trying to achieve it. Living in a society where we're bombarded with photoshopped images, models with rockin' bodies and the cultural norm is that we should all strive for that version of beautiful really shapes your idea of body image.

I only saw the negative or the problems rather than working toward the solutions. Plus I was super busy and stressed so with all that going on I certainly didn't notice the small shifts that I was making over time. . .The fact that I was working out more, I was eating healthier, I was getting better quality sleep, reshaping my body looking and feeling tighter wasn't enough because that inner perfectionist in me couldn't enjoy the process, be happy with what I did accomplish, or see the positive that happened. I felt stuck and frustrated. Anyone else ever feel this way?

But once I made that shift, I realized that there's something amazing about the journey and all the progress I made, all the detours you take on your way, and the different paths you take. It became clear that there was beauty in that too. I was finally able to relax and enjoy life, be proud of the health goals I was able to reach and really embrace the shifts and changes I was making. I found myself becoming more and more positive daily and then good things seemed to keep on happening. And it’s all thanks to a few simple things I learned along the way.

Here are 3 tools I used to lean into progress and push out perfection:

1. Journaling
   Journaling is a powerful tool that many people use for all kinds of different reasons. But when we journal our experiences, it helps us to lean into the progress we are making and keep track of it. Even on the hard days, it gives us the opportunity to look back at where we started and celebrate how far we’ve come.

2. Meditation & Mindfulness
   When we meditate, we build the ability to be mindful and present in each and every moment of life. That mindfulness practice gives us the space to look inward, become aware of our patterns so we can make different choices when those same situations arise again.

3. Gratitude
   Ever hear of that phrase, “What you appreciate, appreciates?” Well, gratitude actually accomplishes two goals at the same time. As we begin to appreciate and show gratitude toward what we have we begin to have a more positive outlook on life in general. You could apply this same thought process to the idea of progress. The more grateful we are of the journey we’re on appreciating what it has given us, the more we appreciate the journey allowing us to think less about perfection and maybe even letting it go.

Today I encourage you all to be present and find the beauty in the progress on your journey toward reaching your goals. Maybe even journal about it. See what comes up for you. Which do you lean into? Progress or Perfection? Where does it show up for you? What does it look like in your life? Is it in how you see your body? Is it in the image you portray to the world? Is it that you feel you must eat perfectly to lose weight? Get out a journal and write about it. And if you’d like to chat more, feel free to comment below! I’m here to help you along your journey. Or if you’d prefer, you can hop on a strategy call with me to figure out your best course of action here.

Let’s hang out:
Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/blossomandthrivecoachingandwellness
Instagram: www.instagram.com/blossom.thrive.becky/