For most of my life, I chased perfection. I thought that if I could just get everything right—every detail flawless, every decision impeccable—then I’d finally feel accomplished, happy, or even just enough. But the truth was, no matter how hard I tried, perfection always felt out of reach, like chasing a moving target. And the more I reached for it, the more exhausted and defeated I felt.

Then one day, I hit a breaking point. I realized I wasn’t living; I was constantly measuring myself against an impossible standard. I wasn’t celebrating my progress, only criticizing the gaps. That’s when I decided to let go of perfection. It wasn’t an easy decision, but it was necessary.

In its place, I chose growth. Growth isn’t shiny or glamorous—it’s messy, uncomfortable, and filled with mistakes. But it’s also honest, liberating, and transformative. When I embraced growth, I learned to see setbacks as opportunities to learn instead of failures to fear. I started valuing the effort I put into things, even when the outcome wasn’t perfect.

Growth taught me to be patient with myself, to celebrate small wins, and to see challenges as stepping stones rather than obstacles. It reminded me that life isn’t about reaching a flawless finish line; it’s about evolving, adapting, and learning with every step.

Now, I don’t aim for perfection anymore. I aim for progress. I aim to do better than I did yesterday, to take risks, and to try again when things don’t go as planned. Embracing growth has made me kinder to myself and more open to the beauty of imperfection.

Because in the end, perfection is stagnant, but growth is alive. And I’d rather be a work in progress, full of lessons and potential, than a rigid idea of something I’m not.