Progress Not Perfection

Anyone else ever a victim of Instagram envy? Yep, guilty as charged. Everyday we are flooded with images and videos of people who seem to be 'perfect' or have the 'perfect' life. Between social media, tv shows and magazines, images that train our brains to think like that are everywhere. So, it's no wonder we're always wanting more for ourselves.

Does anyone else feel like they have an impending list of goals they want to accomplish or things they want to change? Because same. Being the type of person I am, I strive for perfection. Growing up it was perfection in school, getting all good grades and trying to be as well rounded as possible. In college it was to be the perfect sorority girl, being involved in everything, holding positions every year all while getting good grades (a task that seemed near impossible). And now, it's to be the perfect college graduate, with a stellar job, my life on track and everything put together. Turns out, it's not that easy and life isn't always what you picture it to be. Who knew, right? Something I've struggled with post graduation is my fear of failure - or seeming to fail. I want to be seen as accomplished and successful, but so does everyone else, right? I don't want to seem like I'm struggling to find post-grad full-time jobs or move out of my parents house and adult perfectly, but I 100% am. If I'm being real, this is not where I saw myself at 23. We all think when we're little that 23 is 'old' and we should be married with four kids already, but once you're here, you realize how unrealistic that idea was. Something I've struggled with coming to terms with this past year is the phrase, 'progress not perfection.' When I want to do something, I want to do it then and now (no, I don't have a problem with impatience at all...), so in comes the issues with trying to better myself and making small strides at a time. At the start of the year, I realized it was time to be realistic. Time to better myself and be kind to myself in the process.

You know what's important? Realizing your progress. Taking it day by day. Patting yourself on the back for going to the gym, thinking before you get angry or remembering to wash your face twice a day. Changes aren't made in one day, they take time, they take consistency and they take effort. I know I'm not perfect and I've come to realize that my life, my actions and my decisions don't always have to be either. I'm gaining happiness with the progress. I don't need to be perfect to better myself and perfection definitely doesn't equal happiness.

When it comes to accomplishing goals, here's what I find works for me (aka how to crush your goals):

• Consistency. Creating habits little by little and being as diligent as possible about it. Make it a routine.

• Making realistic goals. I used to make goals that were just not attainable or put myself on a timeline that I knew I couldn't accomplish. Realizing who I am, how I operate and what works for me and then setting goals has been a huge game changer.

• Thinking about what's most important to you and focus on those goals first. Whether it's upping your skincare game, getting stronger or committing to learning an instrument. Prioritize instead of trying to conquer everything at once. Setting yourself up for success rather than failure is key.

• Not getting down on yourself. Everyday is a new chance to hit the restart button. One bad day will not kill your progress.

Don't let those impending goals get the best of you and next time you feel down on yourself, remember - progress not perfection.