Still Showing Up Counts: Letting Go of Perfectionism in the New Year
It’s about this time of year I start to feel heavy. Not weight-wise, but spiritually and emotionally speaking. The excitement of the season and the feelings of motivation from the new year are slowly fading. We’ve been back to school, routine, and getting up early. Currently my season includes basketball almost every evening for our second child. Let’s explore this idea together of letting go of perfectionism in the new year!
All-Or-Nothing
This makes for long days, short nights, and lots of things on my to-do list! It is about this time of the year I start thinking, “I was doing so well….and now I’m not.” This emotional shift always happens later in January and this year I’ve decided to reframe my mindset.
I’ve decided to say: still showing up matters more than getting it right.
My spiritual growth is not a pass/fail test from college. For so long I’ve lived with the idea of perfection. If I couldn’t do it perfectly, why even try? This subtle lie seeps its way into my thinking every year. I feel like I’m failing at everything I set out to do in the new year. This all-or-nothing mindset is actually very anti-Gospel, anti-Christ, and anti-Scripture!
Let’s reframe our failures as interruptions, not abandonments. Do you believe that returning to your goals, resolutions, and dreams (especially after missing days or losing momentum) is actually faith, not defeat!
For the righteous falls seven times and rises again. –Proverbs 24:16
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. –Lamentations 3:22-23
Small Obedience Is Real Faith
If being a mom has taught me anything, its that faithfulness is often quiet and ordinary. Not many of us have jobs that require us to stand on a stage, look into a spotlight, and speak to thousands of people. We are mostly just quiet workers, with a small share of influence that does ordinary things like washing dishes, laundry, and folding blankets.
Our God honors daily faithfulness, not impressive platforms.
As we let go of the perfectionism mindset, and the all-or-nothing belief, we can focus on one step at a time. One day. One hour. One moment at a time. Small steps can be so powerful! One psalm, one prayer, and one moment of attention toward God is a step in the right direction. Obedience doesn’t have to feel impressive to please God.
For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. “These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth.” –Zechariah 4:10
One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. –Luke 16:10
What Faithfulness Can Look Like Right Now
What does faithfulness look like in your life right now? Only you can answer that. You know your limits, obligations, and your free time availability. If you want to be more faithful in your BIble reading and prayer, you might have to rearrange parts of your lie.
I created this Plan the Perfect Quiet Time free worksheet to help walk you through some questions to ask if you struggle with how to incorporate your faith into your everyday life. You can print a copy here.
Here are three simple places to start:
- Reading one verse instead of a full chapter
- Praying honestly instead of “properly”
- Opening the Bible even when it feels dry
Consistency is built through grace, not guilt.
So, friend, keep showing up – again. It is not failure, it is faith. You believe that God’s word is worth it, keep meeting with him there. You believe prayer changes things, so keep praying. You will not feel behind when God meets you there. God is not disappointed in you and you can take one small step today. There is no pressure to be perfect.
What would it look like to show up today without expecting perfection?
If perfectionism has made Scripture feel heavy or hard to keep up with, I want to invite you into something gentle.
In the weeks leading up to Easter, I’ll be sharing a blog series called Psalms for the Lenten Journey: Praying Our Way Through Lent—a Scripture-centered invitation to show up honestly, not perfectly. We’ll walk through the Psalms together, one reflection at a time, letting God meet us where we are.If you’d like to follow along, you can sign up here: