If You Need A Sign, This Is It!- Why You Should Choose Progress Over Perfection

In this age of social media, I think we can all agree that we always want to put our best foot forward because there’s always someone watching whether you like it or not. Even if you have one social media account, you’re still making yourself vulnerable to be judged. Before social media, there was less pressure but it still existed. You can’t escape regardless. Don’t get me wrong, social media is a great tool to connect with millions of people in ways that we never have been able to before. Personally, I would just rather “follow” someone who shares the ups and downs of their journey more than flaunt their destination. That is one of the reasons why I created She 3.0 in the first place- to empower women everywhere to embrace the good AND the bad of the female experience because let’s be real, life isn’t smooth sailing for anyone 24/7. We all have obstacles and challenges that we face. Setbacks that keep us from reaching our full potential for days, weeks, months and even years for some. I noticed that there was a big gap when it comes to sharing the vulnerable parts of ourselves and becoming who we want to be. I want to bridge that gap but I understand why it exists. No one wants to be looked at as weak, failing or anything else less than but I strongly believe that still pushing forward despite all of that and sharing how you got through it can connect and help more people than you can ever imagine.

I’ll admit that I am a perfectionist. I have been since I was young. Because of my childhood, I put so much pressure on myself to do better than what and who was around me because I knew I deserved it. One day something clicked inside of me and I realized that it had to start with holding myself up to that standard to achieve that. Not wait on anyone to encourage or do it for me because that only goes a little way. Since elementary school, I knew that I wanted to be more and knew I had the potential to be the first to show people that you can. However, as I got older I realized that no matter how much you plan or a good person you are, things will never be perfect. On top of that, it sucks when you share your plans and they go unsupported or worse, don’t even end up happening. Then recently within the last year, I learned that life is a journey. Not a sprint. Though I wasn’t comparing myself to anyone else, I was constantly comparing my present self with a future version of me that didn’t even exist yet. I learned that I still have so much to go through and learn but each situation is an opportunity to become who I’m meant to be so I have to keep positive, adjust accordingly and never give up.

How many people do you know aren’t on track to reach their potential because something is holding them back? Really think about it. Too many right? It’s sad. Now think about how many people aren’t reaching their full potential because they’re waiting on the right time to do what they always wanted to do? For something extraordinary to mysteriously happen to kick their plan into gear. Unfortunately, a lot of people will be stuck here for the rest of their lives. Whether you might be included in either one or both lists right now, don’t let that be your forever. I wish I could tell every single person that progress is better than perfection! If you’re looking for a sign to do that thing, THIS IT IT! The right time will never come. The right people won’t suddenly pop up and change your life forever. You have to be the right person for yourself to make the necessary changes in your life to achieve your goals. Yes, you won’t get every step right but make the step anyways!

One of my favorite Oprah Winfrey quotes is “I believe luck is preparation meeting opportunity. If you hadn’t been prepared when the opportunity came along, you wouldn’t have been lucky.” I believe that everyone has a plan specifically made for them. That everything happens for a reason to get you exactly where you’re meant to be but you have to do your part and that means being proactive about your dreams. Not reactive to your struggles. How many times has an opportunity presented itself to you but you weren’t where you were supposed to be to be able to receive it? Maybe if you started when you said you would. Maybe if you got out of your comfort zone you would have networked until you found that person who would introduce you to a new way of thinking and the resources you need to succeed. Maybe if you ignored that voice within you telling you not yet. Or maybe it was external voices that didn’t believe you could in the first place. You always have to be ready! As Ru Paul says, “If you stay ready, you ain’t got to get ready!” Life doesn’t want you to fail. Life has so much to offer so don’t throw in the towel. Be ready to receive it. This is only the beginning and if you keep on pushing forward progressing past the middle, you will reach the finish line thanking your past self for never giving up.

Be hungry about your passions, dreams and goals. Don’t accept that they will just be a daydream, a mental escape from your real life. That’s only temporary. Find out what you have to do right now in reality to get there. You owe it to yourself to find out how. Then you owe it to yourself to put it into action. Yes, it will be hard. Yes, people won’t believe. Yes, you may not even know how you will get there when you don’t have it all together but the funny thing about life is that it always finds a way of making sense in the end. Everything you need right now is already within you. When you were a baby, you didn’t know how to read but you had eyes. You didn’t know how to walk but you had legs. You didn’t know how to solve math problems but you had a brain. You learned everything by taking baby steps every single day until you mastered it but first you were curious. You have this idea, this dream, this passion for a reason. You’ve curious about it because it matters. Don’t you want to find out what happens when you put one foot ahead of the other and run towards them? Don’t you want to not only imagine what could be but experience it in reality? Don’t you want to put yourself in a better position you’re in now?

I’m sure you said yes to all of those. Who wouldn’t? But who will do the hard things to get there? Saying, believing and executing are three different things. Please understand that you will always be a work in progress and complete at the same time. Life is what you make it so why not make it everything you’ve dreamed of?