Perfectly Imperfect

Hi Sweet Friends,

It’s been quite a while since I’ve made a post (insert a long sighhhh…). I could give you a long list of perfectly legitimate reasons for why I haven’t had the time but I’m not going to do that today. Instead, I’m just going to say four simple but powerful words: I am perfectly imperfect.

So, what is perfection and what does it mean to achieve this one-of-a-kind, long sought after, state of being?

Merriam Webster defines perfection in three ways:

1.           “the quality or state of being perfect: such as

a: freedom from fault or defect: flawlessness

               b: maturity

               c: the quality or state of being saintly

2.            a: an exemplification of supreme excellence

         b: an unsurpassable degree of accuracy and excellence

3.               : the act or process of perfecting”

In other words, perfection is by its very nature, the best one can possibly be physically, mentally, and spiritually. It’s the highest standard. The greatest feat. A strikingly unattainable goal for us humans, yet many of us still strive to reach it on a daily basis.

We greet our days with fantastic fervor, ready to take on our growing list of to-do’s, time constraints, and expectations. But when we fail to accomplish all, we’ve set out to achieve, we become fatigued, anxiety ridden, and full of shame. Those of us with neurodivergent minds and perfectionistic tendencies, are especially vulnerable. We set unreasonably high standards for ourselves only to become covertly or overtly distraught by our inability to measure up. We are helplessly tangled within wasted time, missed details, unhinged hyperfocus, and unfinished projects. The seemingly perfect day begins strong, full of possibility and purpose and ends, with a pile of unrelenting “could haves,” “would haves,” and “should haves.” Sound familiar?

To illustrate this further, let’s take a great gallop into my perfectly imperfect mind on a nowhere near perfect kind of day, shall we?

The morning air nudges my cheeks with its cool, crisp touch. A sun kissed horizon is just beginning to unravel. My senses come alive with the newly awakened dawn. Silence gently stirs. My mind calm from a semi-full night’s sleep perks up at the slightest bit of sunlight. The fresh glow of morning’s sweet hello sparks immediate reflection. My thoughts scurry as I climb out of bed. I rummage through a long list of tasks to complete and briefly analyze the time needed to complete them. Frantically chasing a standard I cannot meet, I soon lose my grip on the day and miss the little moments budding all around me.

 As the day leaps ahead of me. I spend hours rethinking, rewriting, reimagining, replaying, and rewinding. I become stuck in an endless pit of redo's. I rewrite emails, blog posts, chapters, conversations already had or not yet carried out. I scrutinize every word, every mistake, every attempt, every failure, every detail of my day until the day has passed and my presence along with it. Anxiety builds as I realize I’ve completely failed. I haven’t accomplished what I set out to accomplish. And to make matters worse I’ve lost time. Precious time, I can never get back. And then comes the all-too-familiar face of shame, regret, and fear. I feel myself falling into an abyss, of which, I cannot climb out of but yearn to escape. A deep hole created by living life in the redo, constantly striving to achieve something only God can achieve. Perfection.

Why do we insist upon trying to achieve perfection when only God is perfect? Why do we set ourselves up for failure and desperately try to attain the unattainable? Why do we model the rush, the expectation, and the need to succeed? Why?

Why do we miss the perfection in our imperfect nature?

The world tells us to do more.

God tells us, it’s already been done.

The world tells us. Achieve, succeed, compete, be the best, be the brightest, be perfect.

God’s word tells us. Only he is perfect. We are imperfect, ravaged by sin, and in desperate need of our savior.

The world tells us. We aren’t good enough.

God tells us. He’s created us perfectly. Perfectly imperfect might I add 😉.

As one of my favorite Bible verses beautifully states, “But he said to me, ‘my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Our little minds are not immune to unhealthy perfectionism. So many little ones are running the same race on a different track. Their tasks while much smaller than ours can weigh them down just the same. Our gifted, neurodivergent little minds, along with children in a typical classroom setting, are particularly prone to this mode of thinking (a topic for next time 😉…or we could be here all day hehe).  

So, what’s the antidote to this rushed and rigid way of being—Jesus.

Perfection is found in our creator, the one who perfectly created our imperfect selves, not in our fruitless attempts to be perfect.

Friends, don't be afraid to let the laundry sit in the basket, wait on composing the email, delay the project, leave crumbs on the table, and embrace the mess. We don’t need to rush around, to do it all, or meet an impossible standard. We don’t need to redo because God has already done. We can slow down, enjoy His presence, enjoy this life He’s given us, and let Him lead the way. We can rest, knowing His timing is perfect, His plans are perfect, He is perfect, and in our weaknesses, we too are perfect in Christ. Let us remember, true success is not found in a worldly quest or some desired financial gain. It’s not something obtained but instead, something freely given. Success is prioritizing faith, family, and a life centered on the Lord.

So, next time, you wake up with a mind set on worldly goals and stuck in the redo. Hopelessly bound by a bout of shame over tasks left undone, things left unsaid, or mistakes made, give it to God, embrace the imperfect, repent, and remember that imperfection is the reason you need a savior. Return to the perfect presence of the Lord and let Him redefine the redo because He is all you need.

Until next time,

  

                     Christina

After thought of the post: Instead of living life in the redo, let’s model for our little minds, a perfectly imperfect life. One in which the doing has already been done. A beautifully flawed life in

the perfect presence of our creator.

***Even though I am an independently licensed social worker, none of the information provided to you in this blog, within my books or on my website is professional advice, diagnosis or treatment of any kind. These posts are strictly providing general information/education and are not substitutes for professional help. If you find yourself concerned about you or your child's mental health, please don't hesitate to reach out to a qualified mental health provider. All views expressed in this blog are personal and not representative of the social work profession.***

References:

English Standard Version. (2001). Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians%2012%3A9&version=ESV

Merriam-Webster. (2026). In merriam-webster.com dictionary. Retrieved on 10, 20, 2026 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perfection

All written content, photos, and activities @2026 by Christina Retherford. All rights reserved. Graphics created using Canva/Wix media/Unsplash Images.