Perfection Isn’t the Goal (and It Never Was)

If you’re a mum, chances are you’re juggling more than most people ever see.

Work.

Children.

Household admin.

Mental load.

Relationships.

And somewhere in there… yourself.

Yet so many of us are still operating with an unspoken rule:

If I’m not doing it perfectly, I’m doing it wrong.

And when perfection feels impossible - which it often does - we tell ourselves we’re failing.

The Pressure to Get It “Right”

We live in a world that rewards extremes.

Perfect routines.

Perfect meals.

Perfect bodies.

Perfect habits.

But perfection isn’t just unrealistic - it’s unattainable, especially in a season of life where your time, energy and attention are constantly pulled in different directions.

For mums in particular, this can show up around food and health as:

• “If I can’t eat well all day, I may as well not bother.”

• “If I’ve eaten something ‘off plan’, the day is ruined.”

• “If I don’t have the energy to cook properly, I’ve failed.”

• “If I weigh more on the scales tomorrow, the diet isn’t working”.

That black-and-white thinking is exhausting.

And it keeps people stuck far more than it helps them progress.

A Note on Perfectionism (From Someone Who Knows It Well)

I’m a perfectionist by nature.

Not just with food - with work, organisation, parenting, goals. I like things done properly. And for a long time, that meant holding myself to standards that were completely mismatched to the reality of my life.

What I’ve been learning (and still practising) is the concept of “good enough.”

Not giving up.

Not lowering standards to nothing.

But recognising that consistency beats perfection every single time.

What “Good Enough” Looks Like With Food

When it comes to nutrition, “good enough” does not mean chaos or lack of care.

It means:

• Awareness of how much you’re eating - without micromanaging every calorie.

• A loose structure to meals - protein, carbs, fats, fibre - without rigid rules.

• Making choices that support your energy and fullness most of the time.

• Accepting that some meals will be quick, repetitive or imperfect - and that’s ok.

It means understanding why you’re eating the way you are, rather than aiming for flawless execution.

A meal doesn’t need to be Instagram-worthy to be nourishing.

A day doesn’t need to be perfect to be productive.

Progress Lives in the Middle Ground

Real progress happens in the messy middle.

The days where:

• meals are “fine”, not perfect

• snacks happen

• plans change

• life interrupts

And you still carry on.

This is where habits are built.

This is where food stops feeling like a test.

This is where confidence grows - not from control, but from trust.

Perfection Keeps You Stuck. “Good Enough” Moves You Forward.

When perfection is the standard:

• one off-plan moment feels like failure

• guilt creeps in

• motivation disappears

• and the cycle restarts again

When “good enough” is the goal:

• you adapt

• you adjust

• you move on

• and progress continues quietly in the background

That’s the difference.

A Gentler Way Forward

If you’ve spent years feeling like you’re failing because you can’t “do it properly”, this is your reminder:

You’re not broken.

Your life is just full.

And your health doesn’t need perfection - it needs approaches that fit the life you’re actually living.

Good enough is often more than enough.

This is the lens I use with my clients - not chasing perfection, but building habits that feel supportive, flexible and realistic for real life.