Doing your best vs. Perfection

Ok,I know plenty of my posts have to do with perfectionism and my struggle with it. I can't help it, I have an internal need to do things perfect, have a perfect day etc. I'll admit I used to be way more of a perfectionist before I had Alex, but every once in a while it creeps back and I find myself feeling frustrated at not being able to do it all. I receive so many emails about the things you should be doing with your baby each day for him to develop his mental, physical, and emotional milestones. Needless to say that list it's exhausting they advice to: read to him, play with him, floor time, take him for a stroller, massage time, talk to him, teach a bit of sign language, tummy time and the list goes on and on...that on top of the basic feeding and napping routines. I'm not going to deny I've tried to do it all...plus try to take of myself with my 3 basics exercise, reading, and currently learning more Italian. I wasn't able to do all of these things in one day and was finding myself frustrated. As a mom you always have the feeling that you're not doing enough, and it was even harder when I was trying to fit in some pampering time for myself. I started having a very negative feeling towards my to-do list, so I decided to not have one. I cannot describe enough the sense of relief. I started realizing that when I was doing my best versus trying to do perfect, I enjoyed little Alex so much more, and even my exercise routine became more pleasant because it wasn't something I needed to scratch off a list. I'm currently reading a book called "Mothers of Faith" and one story in particular touched me deeply and led me to make many changes in the way I approach motherhood, and my life as a woman. The book is filled with stories that certainly motivate you as they usually talk about these moms that certainly did it all! But there was one story in which the author started with the simple line "the greatest gift my mother gave me was her own acceptance of her inadequacies and her flaws." He goes on to explain how his mother dealt with her sometimes short temper, lack of cooking abilities etc. He says that he learned more from what his mother struggled than what she was good at because his mother was real to him, she wasn't perfect, she didn't need to be...she was just mom and all he needed was for her to do her best...and she certainly was. I took this story to heart, not only as a mother but as a woman because I'm certainly trying my best to take care of myself but I have to accept that it is ok if I can't do everything I wanted to do today, there is always tomorrow. I have the deep satisfaction of knowing that I find it enough to be trying my best, that I'm trying to be real for my son and for myself, because after all perfection is an illusion...no such thing, but oh so tempting! The temptation seems to fade when I get rid of my list and focus on what I can do, in trying to be real, in enjoying my weaknesses and inadequacies but also remembering to celebrate my end of the day accomplishments...and sometimes that can all be summed up in seeing my little one asleep through the monitor while holding my dear husband's hand while I find myself falling asleep.