
My younger daughter turned 18 this week.
Asked what she wanted for her birthday dinner, she requested “lobster mac and cheese”.
Our first response: Google to find out which restaurant near us had this on their menu.
It turned out there were hardly any, and the one restaurant that did have it only offered it as an upgrade – if you ordered their set menu.
So I decided to make it myself…
The roux turned out decent for a first attempt, but the cheese was not the recommended kind, the panko crumbs were not evenly browned, and the lobster was over-cooked.
My daughter loved it.
“Thank you Mum!” she exclaimed as she tucked in.
With that one decision to take imperfect action, another positive core memory has been deposited in our family’s memory bank.
I am so glad I did not let myself get fixated on finding the perfect lobster mac and cheese so my daughter could have a perfect celebration.
A gentle reminder to all of us strivers and seekers of perfection (including myself):
☑️Let your inner wisdom be louder than your inner critic.
☑️Do your best with diligence and heart.
☑️Be proud of your smallest efforts.
☑️Practise kaizen (改善, the Japanese concept of continuous improvement) with self-compassion.
Progress is better than perfection – and if progress is a step too far right now, then take the smallest step you can that will move you forward.
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