MAREKULIASZ/ISTOCK
“Good enough” rarely cuts it. If you were having surgery or your car were being repaired, you likely would not settle for good enough and would want to be as close to perfect as possible. But there are other times when good enough is, well, good enough. Take your meal or exercise plan, for example. Have you ever beaten yourself up for not following a diet perfectly or skipping the gym? When we demand nothing short of perfection from ourselves, we feel defeated when we don’t deliver. We may even be tempted to throw up our hands and end up right back where we started.
We’ve recently started kicking our workplace TOPS meetings off with something that I like to call, “Tell me something good.” This is an opportunity for us to share something healthy we did over the past week, no matter how small it may seem. We give praise and props for things like walking during morning break, skipping the drive-thru and showing up for a workout even if we feel totally unmotivated. If we are pursuing perfection, it can be easy to overlook all of these “little victories.” But it’s the little things that keep us going and give us something to smile about.
One unhealthy meal will not totally derail our efforts just as one workout will not automatically make us fit. It’s the things we do over and over again that lay the foundation for our overall goal. Slip-ups, splurges, gains and plateaus are bound to happen. When they do, focus on what you’ve been doing well, what adjustments you can make and how you can move forward.
To paraphrase TOPS friend and Real Life contributor Dr. Michelle May, perfection isn’t possible. Fortunately, it’s not necessary either.
By Jeanette Stoffer June 21, 2017
Thanks, Maggie! This was the perfect reminder for me today!
By Maggie June 21, 2017
Glad to hear it, Jeanette!
By Ronette "Ron" Wenberg June 21, 2017
LOVE LOVE LOVE this one Maggie. Brings back memories of me not being good enough. Way back when, I was the Area Queen for N. Ill and as I was coming off stage for the Before After parade, 2 ladies came up to me and told me they thought I should lose more weight. 140 lbs apparently wasn’t good enough for them. I was wearing a beige jump suit with a goldish color wide stretch belt around my waist. I thought I looked great and that it really showed how much I had lost. That comment by those 2 ladies just took the wind right out of my sails. It just really hurt and upset me, and even today 42 years later I STILL hear their voices in my head. I tell myself I AM good enough, that statistics state 95% of the people who’ve lost weight gain it all back plus. After 42 years am I NOT good enough???? Guess I just have to keep telling myself that! Thanks for telling ME that I AM Good Enough!!!!
By Ann Baumgardt November 2, 2017
Congratulations, Ron, on your magnificent weight loss! You have done an awesome job. Unfortunately, no matter where we go and no matter what we do, there are always going to be those people who bring us down. We can receive 100 compliments, but just that 1 negative comment will often times overshadow the 100 positive ones. I’m so sorry those two ladies said that. Of course, they shouldn’t have. I guess we’ll never know what was going on in their minds at the time. But you know you are good enough and I’m betting your local TOPS chapter is very supportive of your efforts and so proud of you!!
By Maggie June 21, 2017
Thank you for sharing, Ron!
By Mary Ray June 21, 2017
Thanks Maggie !!
By Arlene June 21, 2017
“Not Good Enough” can be a challenge for any and all who will exceed the goal in weight loss and proportional eating instead of gorging the body every meal and in-between meals with high caloric foods. Being Good Enough can entail increasing daily exercise routine by five reps or by not buying that chocolate bar for a “chocolate high” when a carton of yogurt is less calories and better nourishment than a chocolate bar and the feeling of winning will last much longer than the immediate need of some type of stress reliever.
By Mary Lou Spencer July 17, 2017
what?
By Nicole June 21, 2017
Great reminder for Wellness Wednesday!
By Maggie June 21, 2017
Thanks, Nicole! 🙂
By Bonnie Merkley June 21, 2017
Definitely a good reminder
In my life these days I always say to myself is this good enough?
I do know I need to really work on my confidence… some days I have zero confidence in myself which reflects on my journey. I was just presented the century award at our PRD. The whole time as I stood on that stage I was convinced I wasn’t worthy of this honour. I done the hard work and lost the 100 plus pounds. Then my head was telling me different. The reason I’m putting this out here is to remind us all that mindset plays a big part in this journey. Tops hugs to all
By Maggie June 22, 2017
Thank you so much for sharing, Bonnie, and congratulations on such an awesome accomplishment!
By Loretta Heard August 30, 2017
Love your blog, so much good and helpful information. Thank you.
By Maggie August 30, 2017
Thanks so much for the kind words, Loretta. 🙂
By Frieda Weed April 7, 2021
Years ago, just after I turned 25, and 3 months after having my fourth child, a person very dear to me called me “FATTY”. I was 5′ 9” tall, 165 pounds, and wearing a size 14. I thought I was doing pretty good. That instant– that remark –has stayed with me all these 55 years. A cruel remark is so hard to forget, as RON stated at the beginning of this.
By Maggie Thorison April 7, 2021
I’m so sorry to hear that, Frieda. People sure can be careless with their words and it can be crushing. Just know that YOU are enough and WE are enough 🙂 And thank you for reading and for sharing! I know it can be tough, but it may help someone else realize they’re not alone.