Baylessfamily.org

One of my goals this year is to (try to) abandon perfection for progress. While it has been a very unconscious behavior and one that I often only see in retrospect, for many years I have taken the attitude that If I can’t do something perfectly, then I don’t do it. Or worse, I devote hours and hours to a goal or project, only to abandon it when I become overwhelmed by my own unattainable standards. This blog has been one of the casualties of this type of thinking. I would get one week behind, then 2, then a month, or six, and suddenly my vision for a perfectly detailed and chronological account of my family’s life is ruined. There were several times that I felt compelled to share something on the blog months after my last post, whether it was something funny the kids said, a memorable trip, or to share my thoughts on current events. But I couldn’t do it! It wasn’t in order! How could I blog about Ben’s preschool graduation when I hadn’t even mentioned Grant’s birth! Even as I write this, I cringe at the thought of breaking the “rules” that I have come to live by. BUT, despite that, I’m going to try and focus on moving forward, not on catching up or producing something great. It is for that reason that I’m writing this post. I just needed to get something down without pictures or perfect grammar. While this is just a silly blog, it signifies a little bit more than that. Hopefully my new approach to this blog (just do it) will also be reflected in other areas of my life. My next task will be to send out the 10+ Christmas cards that are still sitting on my living room table because I felt that it was too late to send them. And of course each day that goes by, the more I am convinced of this. I will send them out tomorrow because there are no rules when it comes to sending out pictures of your family to your friends and family (even if they say Merry Christmas in mid January). Right? Right? Following that, I will finally deliver the Christmas presents that I’ve had since November to my friends and neighbors because I will give myself permission to deliver them without the perfectly written cards that were going to accompany them. Oh, and without the perfect bows…and without waiting for a time when I have clear skin, a cute outfit on, when Ben is in school, and Grant is in a good mood etc…See how nothing gets done around here? The last time those conditions were met was….um…NEVER!