How many things do you put off because you are afraid to fail? Afraid it won’t be good enough? Afraid it won’t be perfect? I am guilty of this in so many areas of my life. This article and this one both found deep in the archives of one of my favorite financial blogs, Get Rich Slowly, had me thinking about more than just saving money.

I know we all procrastinate for perfection in our homes as well. Why even clean the room when you don’t like the furniture? Why paint the walls–what if the color turns out weird? What if it’s wrong? Why even put out the effort if I cannot do it 100% correctly?

I was talking to my sister on the phone today and we were both feeling like we had too much stuff. For her it was toys for her children, for me it was lamps, frames and various tasteful tchotchkes. We both started feeling overwhelmed and then she said “the only way I’ll ever be able to get through all these toys is if I have 2 days strait without my kids around.” Don’t we all feel like that? I feel like the only way to get rid of my stuff is to move and make sure I don’t “need” it. It’s too much work right now. But instead of giving up and waiting to move, why don’t I just get rid of a little bit every week? I make a weekly trip to the thrift store, I could drop off stuff then.

Whether it’s saving money, cleaning the house, brushing your teeth or decorating, these things done incorrectly are still worth doing even if they aren’t done to perfection. Simple Mom addresses the idea of aiming for excellence not perfection. Love her.


What are you putting off because you can’t do it the way you feel like you should?