A couple weeks ago I had a total breakdown about grocery shopping/meal prep/cooking dinner.  I was tired of having to think about food, plan meals for the week, and in general over the whole domestic chores situation.  The Fiancé did a great job of calming me down, going grocery shopping with me, and giving me a reality check.  The whole experience made me realize that I’m putting way to much pressure on myself.

I first heard the phrase “don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good” from Gretchen Rubin on her Happier podcast.  This really resonated with me as I realized I was overwhelming myself with all of the shoulds:  I should eat more vegetarian meals, I should eat more vegetables, I should make meals the Fiancé likes, I should cook more, I should meal prep, I should eat more fish, I should try a new recipe… but really I needed to let go of all the rules and just focus on getting food on the table in whatever way worked.

I see a lot of this black and white thinking in my work as a Nutrition Coach on campus.  Many clients think that if they can’t fit an hour in at the gym that they can’t do anything.  Or if they had a brownie then they’ve failed at their diet.  We’ve somehow convinced ourselves that if we can’t do it perfectly we might as well not try at all.  But there is plenty of space for “good enough” and those small changes can really add up.  Don’t have time to go to the gym?  Ok, spend 10 minutes doing something active at home (don’t know what to do? check out YouTube videos, or clean house, or throw a dance party).  No energy to cook?  Add some extra veggies to a frozen meal or your takeout order.  There are lots of small things you can start incorporating into your life to make a little progress toward whatever your goal is.  Don’t give up on yourself just because you don’t have time/energy/money to do something “perfectly.”

What limiting beliefs have been holding you back?  What’s a small change that would make you feel like you at least did something rather than feeling like you failed?