Have you ever heard the saying “perfection is an abstract ideal“? How often have you wanted something to be perfect- a presentation at work, a paper submitted in class, a craft you made at home, your hairstyle, the list goes on, right? We’ve all been there, the desire and want to be perfect. But can we really achieve perfection?
My Pilates instructor once told me things aren’t black and white, especially in Pilates. There are gray areas and it’s true outside of Pilates too. Things aren’t always right or wrong, we find that middle ground where it’s the in-between that feels right.
One of the books I recently read was called Present Over Perfect. I’ll be honest, the book wasn’t one of my favorites but I love the title. It’s something I try to remind myself of often. When I’m teaching if I’m struggling to explain an exercise to my client or I’m practicing on my own I take a breath and remind myself “present over perfect“.
As we approach the holiday season I think it’s even more important to keep this phrase at the front of your mind. Remember: the food doesn’t need to be perfect, the gifts don’t have to be perfect, the decorations don’t have to perfect. It’s the little imperfections that make things unique. That’s why we’re all so unique. It would be boring to be perfect, everything would be the same, no differences. Our imagination would even be the same!
So instead of worrying about the presents (noun) focus on being present (verb). Be 100% vested in your family, friends, significant others when spending time with them this holiday season. Embrace the moments and experiences and not the presents under the tree. Those warm, fuzzy feelings are what we remember the most and not the superficial stuff. Take photos of everyone at dinner when they are eating and laughing and when gifts are exchanged and you see the true smiles and less of the poses held. Then when you look back on them you can treasure the moments and be present again.