It’s been two weeks since I welcomed you to my newly renovated online home for the launch of my brand new website.

Guess what?

After I kicked backed and relaxed to enjoy it with you, I noticed a small crack in the walls and a gap on the floors…Grrr!

In online language, this translates to I noticed that some links on my blog posts were not working and some pictures were mismatched…Grrrrrrrrr!

I want to rewind and let you in on something that happened behind the scenes during the renovations.

When I first dived into this project, I had originally planned to launch the week of my birthday, December 16, 2017.

Well…things sort of got in the way of that plan.

If you’ve ever worked on something creative or set yourself a goal in your personal or professional life, you’re probably familiar with setbacks, challenges and struggles that make you feel you’re falling behind and are going nowhere fast. Right?

Sometimes, when you look at others who seem to be doing everything right and moving forward, it can make you feel like you’re the only one who just can’t seem to get it all figured out to perfection.

Sound familiar?

One of the most valuable lessons I learned years ago, is that the perfect picture you see when you look at some one’s success, never tells the true story behind the scenes.

Everyone faces challenges, struggles, setbacks and sometimes fall into the deepest, rockiest pit holes along their journey.

I’m sharing this with you, because I know how easily we can beat ourselves up when things don’t go exactly as we planned or take much longer than we hoped. Sometimes, it can lead you to the point of wanting to throw in the towel, which would be a huge waste of your potential and greatness.

While you might have feelings of frustration and disappointment in the moment of a setback, it’s ok. What’s important, is not to let those feelings control your decisions and actions.

Try this instead.

1. Step away for a short while.

Go for a long walk (my favorite), go for that workout, yoga class, dance class, and listen to your favorite music and so on. Regain your energy and clear your mind to get back and make the necessary adjustments to keep going.

2. Remember why you started working on this project.

If the love and passion for the project is deep inside your being, it will speak to you through your heart. Sometimes we are made to wait before achieving our goal to discover our true motives. when your true motive comes to life, you’ll naturally tune out the self-sabotaging dialogues in your mind and adequately perform in ways beyond anything you could imagine.

3. Stay focused on each step.

If that step is a mistake, a setback or a fall, then that’s when your passion speaks through your heart and lets you see it as a learning step and move on.

Of course, you do everything you can to make whatever you’re working on a success, but don’t make yourself go off course or nuts over trying to be perfect. Mistakes will happen. They are INEVITABLE!

From childhood, society educated us to believe that mistakes were the worst thing we could do. Because of this, many of us became loyal worshipers of perfectionism. So, the very thing we believed would avoid the agony of shame and judgment and have a successful life, turned us into our own worst enemy.

But, did we ever question, “How am I to ever try, learn or create something new, without mistakes?

Hello!

Mistakes, setbacks and challenges are all part of the self-growth, self-improvement and self-progression equation. The human being equation that doesn’t have a fixed success formula which applies to everyone.

This brings me to the BIGGIE

4. Please, don’t compare yourself to ANYONE!

Allow yourself to be who you are and accept where you are, no matter what others are doing or where they are.

When you don’t compare yourself to anyone, you let go of the need for perfection, which is an unrealistic, illusory expectation, and you’ll focus on growth, improvement and progression by learning from your mistakes and find inner happiness.

Here’s where real beauty comes in.

5. Laughing at your mistakes.

That inner happiness makes space for the most effective tool that gives you the confidence to move past your mistakes, setbacks and challenges; LAUGHTER!

There’s a great value and strength in acknowledging that you’re human. Laughter liberates you from hiding behind your imperfections to accepting them without letting them define you.

At first, all the unexpected technical problems and unforeseen delays during the renovations of my website had me nearly pulling my hair out. After my long walk in nature, and listening to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” (still my motivational song!), laughter stepped in and played a major role in recharging my energy and staying focused on what needed to be done. I ended up accomplishing so much more.

When you focus on perfection, you place unrealistic expectations on yourself which burdens you with stress that can create havoc in your life and robs you of your vitality.

When you focus on progression, you give yourself permission to be real and true to yourself. It gives you the freedom to explore different approaches through your mistakes, strengthens your confidence in learning and brings your passion out to the world.

The only perfection is in being human. Yet, we place inhumane expectations on ourselves with perfectionism and miss many moments of valuable life experiences.

Live fully and seize the riches of a joyful life through growth and progression in every one of your projects. Let what you were meant to create come to life!