Last Wednesday marked my 500th post here at The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist. And I thought it would be fun to share where it all began.
Before this site, I had another blog. It was accidentally deleted which, in retrospect, was a blessing in disguise.
Thankfully I had a text file with all the deleted posts, and I’m pasting my very first blog post here, from April 2021, exactly as I wrote it for my…zero readers. And this is what it said:
One of my favourite mantras is a paraphrase of Voltaire, popularized (for me at least) by Gretchen Rubin: Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
How often the allure of the “perfect” keeps us from even attempting a task. Yet, most of the time, an outcome of “good” is preferable to complete inaction.
For example, I’ll get stuck in the loop of thinking “If I don’t run at least 5 km, there’s no point in running at all.”
That logic is clearly flawed – runs of 3 km would, in fact, add up. If I’m able to squeeze in that distance three times a week (very doable), that’s 36 km for the month, which certainly isn’t nothing.
So instead of aiming for perfection – what about aiming for good…and done.
Revisiting this post reminds me how small beginnings can grow into something meaningful, especially when we keep showing up. Here’s to post #500 — and, hopefully, many more.
Your turn.
- Do you ever find perfectionism holding you back from starting something?
- What’s a small step you could take toward something that matters to you, even if it’s not “perfect”?
Header photo by Pineapple Supply Co. on Unsplash
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No way! I am going to be the first comment on your post and not the last!
Happy 500 posts in this space! That’s an awesome milestone! I am so glad you started blogging!
I definitely have perfectionistic tendencies that sometimes hold me back from starting something. But I do agree with your statement that “don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good”. I feel like it’s something that we have to practice to fully understand!
Woot, woot! First comment prize goes to San.
500 snuck up on me. A few weeks ago I happened to look at the published number and thought “that can’t be right!” I know I got over 500 on the old blog as well, so in reality I’ve blogged over 1,000 posts at this point which I’m sure pales in comparison to the number from seasoned bloggers that have been at this for several decades!
Wow- 500 already! You go, girl!
I’m not a perfectionist, though I’m married to one, and my mother-in-law definitely is. Reality and kids tool care of any perfectionist streak in me! I live by expediency- Get it done, fix it later if needed.
Right now, though, shelf paper that I bought sits unused, waiting for me to have the energy to finish lining my shelves. I did a couple a few weeks,ago, but then it got hot and I got lazy. I could do just one shelf at a time instead of expecting a big burst of energy to do it all in one swoop. (Maybe you mean personal growth or health-wise? I have no goals that are noble!)
Kids sure bring perfectionism down a few notches. It is impossible to control the outcome of just about every plan once you have kids.
Fixing it later has a lot to recommend it! Sometimes good enough is all that’s needed. And sometimes things done in a hurry more than suffice! It’s easy to overplan/overprepare.
I repapered my shelves a few years ago and they are starting to look a bit worse for wear. At this point I’m ignoring that fact…I really should have sealed the edges because that’s where things are looking tattered/lifting up. Once you finish at your place, feel free to pop by mine and help me with a do over!
Happy 500!!!
I’m a recovering perfectionist, and I’m a long way into my recovery if you know what I mean, but I do think that perfectionism has kept me working a bit longer than I should have. I wanted to go out on a high note, and instead I got stuck with Project Impossible, and finally came to my senses and quit anyway.
Blogging is a space that embraces imperfection. We all start with an audience of zero, and grow from there.
The best time to quit might have been earlier, but second best time to quit is now! So gold stars for doing just that. It’s so easy to stay in a rut and keep on with the status quo but you’re not doing that!
The finish line is in sight!!!
500 posts! What a milestone, Elisabeth! 🎉
I love how you tied running into your point about “good and done”. I used to dream of a sub-3 marathon, but eventually realised it wasn’t going to happen before age caught up with me. So instead, I shifted to other goals, and that mindset really does keep the joy alive.
By the way, did you start your very first (deleted) blog back in 2021, or was that when this current one began?
Here’s to the next 500!
What a great reminder that sometimes our goals need to shift. That’s not failure, it’s growth and setting ourselves up for success!
I started my first blog back in 2021 and got to over 500 posts on that before it was deleted and then I think I restarted this blog on September 24, 2023! So almost exactly 2 years ago. So I’ve posted 500 times in just under 2 years.
Five hundred posts!!! Congrats! 🎉🎈 🥳
Love that first post. How very wise. I let perfectionism get in the way all too often. It’s much easier to recognize its disadvantages in other people than when I’m doing it.
Thanks, friend. Blogging has been such a fun adventure.
“It’s much easier to recognize its disadvantages in other people than when I’m doing it.” Isn’t that the truth! Observing me is quick to see character flaws in other people’s decisions, but I’m not always good at noticing my own stumbling blocks!
Happy 500th post! That’s a big milestone!
Congrats on 500!
In addition to telling myself that done is better than perfect, I often remind myself that there is no One Right Answer. In almost every situation (buying an item, booking a trip), there are multiple choices that will work, so pick one and move on. I can easily get caught up in decision paralysis, and this helps me break out.
“I often remind myself that there is no One Right Answer.” YES, YES, YES! This is such wise advice.
Yay! Happy 500! And, this was great. Like so many other things, that first post is hard. You just have to put SOMETHING down and get started- although ironically I found myself thinking that this was the “perfect” first blog post!
Aww, shucks. Thanks, Jenny!
I used to wrestle with perfectionism more than I do now. I learned to say to myself: “an imperfect something is better than a perfect nothing.” I want to be something not nothing.
Congrats on your blogging achievement.
It’s easy to get stalled on wanting to do something perfectly and ending up with nothing! It’s countercultural to be “okay” with something deemed less than perfect. It’s also liberating and, in my case, the path toward better mental health!
Congrats to your 500th post! That’s a great first post.
I’ve been a slave to perfectionism all my life, and just recently started adopting the attitude that it’s ok to show up with what I have even if it isn’t good. Otherwise I’ll end up doing nothing, and if I don’t start, I can’t improve whatever it is. When it comes to blogging (and it’s true in many other contexts), I read recently the statement that most people quit after maybe 10 posts, so really if you keep going you’re doing better than most people and that helped me a lot!
Such a great perspective: the only way to improve is to iterate and build on past experiences (whether we see them as successes or failures!)
Showing up regularly has made blogging such a highlight in my life. I’m so grateful for the community I’ve found – it truly brings so much joy to my life!
Congratulations on your 500th (twice now!) post! Age and life experience has loosened up my perfectionist tendencies for sure. And it’s a welcome relief!
I think perspective is 3/4 of the battle in life and I don’t think much tops the perspective that comes from actually living and experiencing.
Happy 500 posts! Well done, you! I definitely struggle w/ perfectionism so I tend to not set goals for fear that I will not achieve that goal. I’ll still quietly work towards something, like working out 3 x’s week or something to that effect but I would not want to say outloud that I am going to do that every week for a year. Or I do not like streak goals, like doing something every day in a given month because if I miss a day, I can feel like it’s not even worth continuing on. So I definitely let perfect be the enemy of the good!
Streaks are hard for me, too. I feel like skipping something once precludes me from successfully completing the streak so I just…stop. Argh. So frustrating. I will walk every day in October, but that’s about my max streak! I think that’s one reason I really like Laura Vanderkam’s advice that 3x/week = a habit. It gives me flexibility which is so helpful for my personality type.
You are a SUPERSTAR in my book, because 500 posts in 2 years is enormous, and you even have enough of a following to have ads too!! (3928 published posts for me, and still with just tens of readers. . . all since 2008. Yea, me.)
Thank you for your consistency, transparency (without whining or bleeding publicly), authenticity, and high quality blog. It is such a privilege to get to know you through the interweb vapors!
Jana, I’m blushing. You really are too kind <3
I'm so glad you're a regular reader these days. Here's to 500 more!!
And you're almost to 4,000 posts. Wow. That is a staggering number. Go you!!
Happy 500!
I say this to my students ALL THE TIME because they have such trouble committing to topics for semester-long projects
Congrats on 500 posts! This prompted me to go back to see how many posts I’ve published over the 11+ years I’ve been blogging. As of today, I’m at 1,424 posts! The numbers have declined in recent years as I’ve cut back on the main reason for blogging: running. When I look back and re-read posts from those first few years-yikes! But I leave them up to remind myself of how much I’ve grown and to give myself grace as I grew into the blogging process. It’s been a fun journey–and still is–and I have met some of my best friends through this space. I’m always happy to add more! Thanks for giving me this food for thought today!
Wow. You’ve got me beat, for sure!
And I’m so glad I’ve found your blog. Better late than never, and I found you at the perfect time. Wedding pictures are my kryptonite – I can’t look away!
Happy 500th!!
In terms of perfectionism, something I’ve struggled with and am slowly getting better at is starting things or doing a small step even if I know I won’t be guaranteed to be able to finish it right then. In my first three or so years of parenting I tended to just not start things if I didn’t think I could finish them in one session. Obviously that led to things backing up. I’ve slooooowly gotten better at just doing what I can when I can and trusting that another pocket of space will open up to do more/finish it.
It is so hard to “eat the elephant one bite at a time.” It is infinitely harder, too, once kids come on the scene because there is so much we can’t control and so many tasks that are never ending. It can feel very hard to make forward progress!
I was so used to starting and completing things pre-kid it has taken a LOT of adjusting to do things in shorter stints and/or not doing them to as high a quality as I would have demanded from myself before.
I’m cheering with glee at your 500-post benchmark! That’s a wonderful accomplishment! Like everyone, I think your first post is so good and still applies today. I have worked hard on embracing imperfection in my life, and it has definitely made things more fun. But sometimes it still surprises me to find out I’m avoiding something because I know I can’t do it perfectly.
I’m so happy you wrote that first post, and that I found you! Yay!!!
You bring so much joy to this community and my life, Michelle! From a distance, every single art project you do looks absolutely perfect to me! But you make me wonder what I’d genuinely love to do…but avoid since I know I can’t do it perfectly or become proficient at it…
Hooray, congratulations! <3 you have cultivated such a nice and engaging readership!
I'm not a perfectionist in the sense that crooked paintings and chipped nails don't bother me at all. But I definitely hold myself back from doing things because I'm overwhelmed at where to start!
Crooked paintings and chipped nails DO drive me nuts and I wish they didn’t. But for other things, I’m easily satisfied. Like I don’t really care if the outside of my vehicle is dirty, and I rarely clean my kitchen sink and the inside of my fridge. Oops. There simply isn’t enough time to care about everything, right?! And we all have (sometimes seemingly random) priorities.
Thanks for being such an active participant in this online community. There is no community without readers, and I genuinely appreciate each and every one.
I’ve been a reader of your blog long before it was deleted and I specifically remember that one blog post on solo-parenting and lessons you learned. Which I also do and that post really touched me. I still have it saved believe it or not 🙂
Happy 500!! And many, many more!!
Perfectionism… I don’t really have that problem… I want to take up running, it can only go for about 200 yards without falling over and passing out. 3K? Forget about it.
But even with very short runs/walks I feel so much more energized, that I want to keep doing it because I get over my biggest obstacle- MYSELF. So even the little things, laughable 10lbs weights, impromptu runs, stretches – all that is sticking it to Daria. Daria does not like to exercise so we have to make her exercise. Something small every day!
Awww. I’m so glad that post “clicked” with you.
Ha. Long runs are overrated for me. But John and I have been doing 2 km most days, followed by a cooldown walk of a little over 1 km and it is the perfect length of time and the right amount of energizing!
Elisabeth does not like to exercise either. SIGH.
Wow, you haven’t been blogging THAT long, to already have 1,000 posts between 2 blogs is amazing. Congratulations! I went and looked, and WordPress says I have 2,566 blog posts, which seems low to me. I have been writing on my blog for 20 years this November, and some years I have posted every day…but then again there have been times when I posted only a couple of times a YEAR. So I guess it balances out. Finding this blogging community has really revitalized my blogging and brings me much joy. I’m glad that it is that for you as well, I love reading your posts and your comments.
The blogging community is alive and well and it’s such a delight. Cheers to 2,566 posts and wishes for another 20+ years of blogging. It is always a delight to see a post show up from you in Feedly.
Congratulations on your 500th post. Wow, that went quickly. I didn’t realise it had been two years since you started this blog. I am generally not a perfectionist with most things. I had made it a rule that hitting habits 80% of the time or completing 80% of a training plan is success, so that you can’t get sidetracked by missing a few days. Once you get to 80% completion, you’re getting most of the benefit anyway. But perfectionism comes out in other ways, especially when I write for ministry, give a talk or do something publicly—I really hate to make mistakes in those kinds of situations. Doing the keys at church has been really helpful in that respect because I’m really just bumbling my way through. It’s definitely been a good learning curve.
It DID go quickly, eh? Time is just zooming by.
I still can’t believe you accidentally deleted your entire blog. I mean, I can SEE how this happens, and I’d also be devastated in the moment. I love that you have picked up what you started and are out there/here with your optimistic self. (the irony!)
I gave up trying for perfection when I was nearly in my fifties. I wish I’d done it sooner because SO much wasted energy. Honestly, I think that is part of the charm of growing older; you really do learn lessons and you value your time and energy so much more.
It was the WORST. But, silver linings abound from it.
Congrats on publishing so many posts. Its amazing.
And how fun to revive that old post. While I know your old blog I am not sure I read that first one.
I agree that starting is better than being perfect. Which doesn’t mean I can live that sentiment at all times. It is tough.
I think I was actually one of your first commenters on your original blog. My recollection is that I followed you over from a comment you left on (maybe) SHU’s blog? I loved how you spelled your name – that, I remember clearly – and I was so happy to see you had a blog! And now, of course, I rarely comment and I am never, ever the first. Sigh. Still here, though, and still enjoying this space.
Awww. This feels very full circle, Anne. Thanks for being such a steady commenter over the years. And here’s to 500 more!