It’ll never be perfect
Why waiting until the conditions are “perfect” is delaying your life.
Occasionally I reminisce about my D.C. apartment. Ya’ll I loved my little cozy corner apartment.
There were big windows facing the south and every morning I could catch the sunrise and feel the warmth and glow from the sun. The sun was the main character in my apartment, serving as my light source throughout the day. I rarely needed to turn the lights on in the morning because the sun shined so brightly.
I curated my space with care and intention—I painted my bedroom walls a calming sky blue, added wallpaper to my living room wall, drilled holes to hang my favorite pieces of artwork. I lit candles that positively shifted my mood. I would blast music (sorry neighbors!) early in the morning that served as my soundtrack while I squeezed in a workout. I cooked to my heart’s content trying new recipes from my favorite cookbooks. It was so spacious, I even ran a handful of photo shoot productions in my apartment. It was my safe space and by all accounts, it was “perfect.”
Fast forward to today, I now live with my grandmother and aside from having a roof over my head, the conditions are far from perfect. We’re crammed into a small one bedroom apartment. I’m sharing space with my grandmother and her “things.” I don’t have a front row seat to the sun’s morning show because she lives in the front of the building. A lot of her furniture are remnants from a former part of our lives… reminders of deceased loved ones and collected dilapidated equipment from others. In my eyes, it’s a poor use of the space she spends most of her time. But in her eyes, it’s “perfect.”
Clearly, “perfect” is conditional.
We always say once we have more time, more money, more space, more friends, etc etc then we’ll be able to write the book, train for the half marathon, take the cross country trip, etc.
We lament that we can’t achieve what we desire if we stay in our environment. It’s our environment that keeps us “stuck.” For a handful of us, that may be true.
But if I lived by that logic that means I couldn’t achieve half of what I’ve done the past two years because the conditions were not “perfect.” I’ve taken up painting, traveled to my dream destinations, learned how to sew and swim, and created a writing practice… and that’s been in the last 2 years living in “imperfect” conditions.
Sometimes you won’t have the option to change your environment. Does that mean you put your life on hold? No!
Current messaging suggests that if you’re not in “alignment” or if your environment isn’t working, that it’s time to go. But that may not be true. It may be time to bloom where you’re planted.
You have to learn how to make do with what you already have. You can’t let current circumstances or environment stop you from living the life you want. In other words, you must be flexible in your methods and steadfast in your vision.
The conditions will never be perfect. Waiting for the perfect convergence of circumstances that quite frankly may never come is just delaying your life.
I don’t need to control the how because there is more than one way to get what I want.
Instead of seeking perfect conditions I ask myself what promise do I want to keep to myself, what constitutes a “perfect” day regardless of the environment I find myself in?
For example, I have a one hour work commute. I have to walk out of my door by a certain time to get to work on time. But, I don’t like rushing in the morning and prefer easing into my day (Taurus life: I don’t like to be rushed).
I’ve created a container that allows me to be able to enjoy my mornings before leaving for work. That looks like waking up 30 minutes earlier and choosing what I need to feel good: fifteen minute writing session, a 15-20 minute workout sesh and a warm shower without the bathroom light on (a game changer!).
What container and parameters can you create to make sure you keep the promises to yourself under less than “perfect” conditions? What are you willing to do to make this happen regardless of the environment you find yourself in?
Don’t delay your life because you’re waiting for “perfect.”