I’m Doing My Best and My Best is Good Enough

Six large plastic tubs full of children’s clothes that no longer fit sit in my dining room. My plan is to sort through for what to keep for memories and what to give / donate / sell. I’ve gotten through one box in two months. It’s the best I can do. I am doing my best and my best is good enough.

Second grade needed pictures of my child’s Baptism. A fellow 2nd grade mom, upon hearing I too had not yet sent my picutres to the drug store for printing, offered to submit my images with hers and send the pictures to school when she sent hers. “Oh yes, thank you so much!” I replied via with many happy face emojis. I am doing my best and my best is good enough.

My six year old sleeps in my bed, when she’s not at her dad’s doing the same thing. I’m too tired to fight the situation and so bedtime includes me laying in my bed next to her reading until she falls asleep. I’m doing my best and my best is good enough.

The sink is not always empty when I go to sleep. Sometimes it is and it is sparkling. Sometimes the sink is completely full.

I am doing my best and my best is good enough.

doing my bestMy standard of best is what I am capable of achieving in a given moment, day, month … Sometimes my best is Pinterest inspired, Instagram worthy, and in-person pretty terrific. But for one thing to be executed to this level of time, energy, and effort, something else was not tended to with as much care.

I am the only parent in my home, where my children live with me 60% of the time. I am self-employed, active in professional associations, host a weekly podcast and local tv segment, and the list goes on including being an involved mom and trying to date and spend time with my friends and family. I have a carefully curated rotating list of where I devote my time and energy.

My energy is a resource.

I cannot meet Instagram’s, or any other mom’s, version of the best. I cannot even do what I have the potential to do all of the time. I could clean the baseboards throughout my entire house weekly. I have the potential to do that, but my capacity to is another story. My best is what I am capable and able to do at that moment in time.  So I do a drive by swipe down when it occurs to me or I notice. They look good to me, so my best is good enough!

I do not live in the mindset of “limitations,” lamenting on not having a spouse to aid in housework or contribute to the bills.

I am enough. I do not need to be anyone else but me. I’m doing my best and my best is good enough. If someone else has an issue with the mountain of plastic tubs in my dining room, don’t come over! If my mismatched post-divorce furniture doesn’t meet your standards, you probably are too judgmental to be my friend anyway. I am enough.

My best effort is enough. It is such a more loving way to speak to and treat myself. Living to be my own best self is my most direct path to living my most authentic life. My most authentic self is doing her best. And her best is good enough.

Julie Couret
Nola Native, Julie Couret is Mom of Emma Mae (12) & Helen (10) and partner to her long term boyfriend Tom. She co-parents with her ex-husband & is known for candid posts on her life behind the scenes. Julie is self-employed an Executive Coach who works with business owners leading strategic planning sessions, management training, leadership development, and change management. She loves road trips with her kids, playing tourist in her own city, and riding in her parade Krewe Cleopatra!

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