I Don’t Need to be Perfect. I Just Need to Keep Going

The other day, something small, but very real happened.

Enzo set up a new email address for me to compliment my website, rebelwithsuz.com. The new address is suz@rebelwithsuz.com. (I like things that coordinate and these two definitely do.) But here is “the thing” . I am really insecure, drifting even slightly away from tried and true, and my first, and one and only, until recently, beachmom@gmail.com. [Sounds like the old lady is knocking again.] I digress.

The new email address set up by Enzo is a good thing! An exciting thing! A professional thing!

UNTIL, I could not figure out how to retrieve the messages.

Cue my default mode: PANIC.

At 83+, my computer skills sometimes (most times) feel a bit… SKETCH. Add a few unfamiliar screens, a rejected password, and suddenly the old story shows up, ya know, I am just NOT good at this.

I could feel the familiar temptation to quit. To walk away. To tell myself, This is too much.

But I didn’t.

Instead I stayed. First, I googled the situation. Then I sent an S.O.S. to Enzo. I laughed at myself, I breathed. With Enzo to the rescue, slowly but surely he taught me and we figured it out.

AND THAT IS WHEN THE LESSON LANDED.

Confidence is not about staying calm. NOPE! It’s about staying.

We often think confidence means knowing what we’re doing, feeling capable, having it all together. But real confidence, especially as we age, looks very different.

It Looks like:

• Following through even when you feel unsure
• Persisting when frustration creeps in
• Persevering instead of quitting at the first wave of discomfort

The above 3 qualities, follow through, persistence, and perseverance, have carried ME through far bigger things than a computer glitch. They have helped me learn new skills, make meaningful changes and I keep showing up for what matters to me.

For me PERFECTION has NEVER been the goal. But, PROGRESS has.

And yet, how often do we stop ourselves because we think we should already “know better”?

How often do we confuse temporary discomfort with failure?

This shows up everywhere:

• Learning new technology
• Making health changes
• Shifting how we eat
• Starting something new later in life

The voice that says to you “I can’t” often just means “This is unfamiliar.”

So here is the truth that I keep coming back to and the one I want to offer to you today: [I don’t need to be perfect. I just need to keep going.]

That single mindset shift changes everything. It takes the pressure off. It replaces self-judgement with self-trust. AND it reminds us that confidence is not a personality trait, NOPE, CONFIDENCE IS A PRACTICE. This is true!

So if you are struggling with something RIGHT NOW, big or small, please hear this:

You are not behind.

You are not failing.

NOPE, YOU ARE LEARNING AND THAT IS A GOOD THING. And if you “keep on keeping on” you are succeeding.

Suz xo

“Age Boldly, Live Loudly!”