In this world where even Type A personalities can feel left behind, the idea of achieving perfection – or anything in that neighborhood – is daunting at best. Ergo the epiphany that came to me while engaging in the very unglamorous act of painting our kitchen: a simple enough task, perfectly done, can bring pleasure, satisfaction, and order.

It used to be that there was time to be good, work up to better, and finally arrive at best, confidence and competition securely in place. Now, however, reaching “better than best” at warp speed has become our new global pastime. Understandable why you might want to call “check please,” retreat, and surround yourself with mac & cheese and non-stop episodes of I Love Lucy.

Or you can seek perfection in simplicity. The perfectly reorganized junk drawer (or garage or desktop) can actually help reorganize
your mindset. That perfectly rearranged bookshelf (in my case, by color of the binding) can make you smile. And that black and white cookie eaten perfectly (either alternating bites between vanilla and chocolate or getting a little of each in every bite) can make an otherwise blah day a little brighter.

Small actions. Small victories. Small joys. Perfect.

© 2013 Claudia Grossman