Just Do It!

Three little words. Just Do It. I have so many ideas running around inside my head for things I would like to acomplish personally, and projects around the house. None of these things are unattainable, but I realized that one of my problems is that I feel if I can't do something perfectly, I am much less likely to attempt it at all. Oh, I'll buy the supplies and read the instructions, or I'll read the magazines, watch the videos and buy the cute workout clothes, but when it comes down to actually taking steps towards a goal, I hesitate, or I stall out halfway through. Which is frustrating, (more so for those who live with me, I'm sure) but I have no one to blame but myself! I decorated the little boys' room last year, and am pleased with the results. At the same time, I bought supplies and hatched a plan for Megan and Colleen's room : a garden/treehouse theme. The other day, my neighbor dropped off a dresser which she got from someone who was moving. It had already been stripped of paint, but the owner abandoned the project, and just wanted the dresser gone. It was the perfect size to replace Colleen's dresser, so I decided to make it a project for Colleen and me to do together. It was fun! We covered the picnic table on the deck with old sheets, and set to work. I bought a sheet of plywood to fit the back of the dresser, and new knobs. Colleen helped to nail the back on, and we painted it together. Part of me really didn't want her to paint, since she's a novice, and she has a tendency to overload her brush and slap it on. But when I saw how much fun she was having, I realized that it is her dresser, and it didn't matter if it wasn't perfect. And, I am not a perfect painter either! We'll pressure wash the extra paint of the deck later..........the important thing was, we were making progress towards the girls' room, finally! And we were having fun doing something together. It was kind of a lightbulb moment for me. FLYLADY says, "Housework done imperfectly still blesses your family". This can apply to so many areas of my life. I am using this revelation to tackle some things I've been putting off or haven't finished yet. Yes, the trim around the door would look best if the paint was stripped and sanded first, but it will still look better with another coat of paint. Will anyone besides me notice that it isn't perfectly smooth? Will anyone care? On a personal note, I cannot run a mile, but I can walk 2 miles in 20 minutes. So I am headed to the track with the kids, bearing in mind that exercise can be fun, family time, and everything I do from this point on is progress! Perfection is over-rated and maybe impossible, but progress is satisfying!