I Stopped Chasing Perfect and Started Enjoying Life
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My Current Favorites for Living My Best Imperfect Life
If you're curious, these are a few things making my days a little cozier and a lot more enjoyable:
At some point in my late forties, I quietly stopped trying to become the woman who always has everything under control. let's be honest I have never had it under control I just stopped caring about it.
You know her.
The one with the spotless house.
The organized pantry.
The matching storage containers.
The bathroom counters that contain exactly one candle and a folded hand towel.
Meanwhile, I currently have approximately 5,000 health and beauty products spread across my bathroom counter, spilling into my bedroom, migrating into my craft room, and occasionally showing up in my kitchen.
I have no explanation for this.
It's simply become part of the ecosystem.
And honestly?
I'm okay with it.
The House Can Wait
One of the biggest ways I've learned to enjoy life is by allowing myself to crochet for hours even when there are other things I "should" be doing.
Everything is never done.
There is always laundry.
There are always dishes.
There is always a closet that needs organizing.
There is always a floor that could be vacuumed.
If I waited until everything was finished before I enjoyed myself, I'd never enjoy myself.
So now, I grab my yarn, settle into my favorite chair, and spend three hours crocheting while a basket of unfolded laundry judges me from across the room.
We've learned to coexist.
The Scroll That Brings Joy
I know scrolling gets a bad reputation.
But I have a confession.
I love a good funny reel.
Not doom scrolling.
Not stress scrolling.
Not comparing-my-life-to-everyone-else scrolling.
I'm talking about the kind where you accidentally spend 30 minutes watching hilarious things kids say, dogs doing weird things, or pranks people pull on their spouses.
The kind of laughing that leaves your stomach sore.
The kind where you snort unexpectedly.
The kind where you immediately send the reel to six friends.
Or twelve.
Or twenty.
Look, my friends receive an absolutely unnecessary amount of reels from me.
And I am not sorry.
Spreading laughter feels like community service.
Self-Care Is Not a Reward
Never treat self-care like something you have to earn.
Finish everything first.
Then relax.
Then buy the fancy lotion.
Then take the bath.
Then spend money on yourself.
Then enjoy yourself.
Now?
Nope.
I buy the face mask.
I use the fancy moisturizer.
I light the candle.
I book the massage.
I take the nap.
I spend money on things that help me feel good physically and mentally.
Not recklessly.
Not irresponsibly.
Just without guilt.
I don't feel bad taking care of myself.
Maybe It's a Midlife Thing
Maybe it's being the middle child.
Maybe it's getting older.
Maybe it's realizing that life is a lot shorter than it felt when I was twenty-five.
But somewhere along the way I stopped trying to make every day productive and started trying to make every day enjoyable.
Those are not the same thing.
Enjoyable might look like:
Crocheting all afternoon
Laughing at ridiculous reels
Buying another skincare product
Going out with friends
Streaming a steamy show on Amazon Prime, (not naming names but maybe “The Deal”). ;)
Sitting quietly with coffee
Doing absolutely nothing
And sometimes doing nothing is exactly what I need.
The Gift of Nothing
One thing I've come to appreciate more than ever is having days where nothing is wrong.
No crisis.
No emergency.
No stress.
No rushing.
Just a regular, ordinary day.
The older I get, the more I realize what a gift that is.
A quiet morning.
A crochet project.
A funny video.
A cup of coffee.
A peaceful afternoon.
There was a time when I thought exciting days were the best days.
Now I think peaceful days might actually win.
Life Is Better, Not Perfect
My house isn't perfect.
My counters aren't perfect.
My schedule isn't perfect.
My attention span definitely isn't perfect.
I've stopped chasing perfect.
I've stopped waiting for everything to be done.
I've stopped believing that joy has to be earned.
These days I'm focused on collecting moments that make me smile, laugh, relax, connect, create, and enjoy being exactly where I am.
Because at the end of the day, life isn't about having everything together.
It's about enjoying the beautiful, messy, colorful, wonderfully imperfect life you're already living.
And if I happen to do that while surrounded by yarn, skincare products, and a mountain of laundry...
Even better.