don’t let perfect be the enemy of good
My top priorities in life include my health and my primary relationships (my marriage, my son, family and closest friends). My secondary priorities include my business and personal finances, travel and experiences and my home. Note that, in my highest priorities, you will not find anything related to shopping, my wardrobe, beauty or my appearance in general. I would never sacrifice any of the above in order to buy a new handbag or look perfect every morning. Yet, obviously, as a wardrobe consultant and stylist, I think that my personal image is very important. I don’t feel good when I don’t take the time to put myself together for the day. I think it’s a sign of respect to others and to myself to present myself in a way that shows that I care. So, how do I balance these priorities without sacrificing what really matters? The answer is: most days, I aim for ‘good enough’. Not perfect, not excellent, but good enough. And I help my clients do the same. With the exception of special events, the goal is not to be the most stylish person in the room; the goal is to feel good enough in what you’re wearing and how you look to forget about it once you walk out the door in the morning. The goal is to feel confident and comfortable enough to focus on the other top priorities in life and the things you need and want to do on a daily basis. So, even though this is not the most important thing, it is an important aspect of life that requires effort to maintain. As a new mom, I’m working especially hard to maintain this balance.
Here are some of the ways I find that middle ground between giving up and being a perfectionist about my style. I accomplish ‘good enough’, by focusing on:
- Building a closet that consists only of pieces I love and feel good in so that whatever I throw on in the morning, it’s at least ‘good enough’
- Prioritizing my beauty days. If I’m working from home one day or have a laid back weekend day, I usually won’t skip make-up all together but I’ll put on some tinted moisturizer, cheek color and mascara and call it a day. If I’m meeting a client or have an event, I’ll put in a little more effort.
- Buying versatile accessories that I can throw on top of almost any outfit. Things like a neutral pendant necklace, nude sandals or a light gray handbag can be paired with just about anything without a second thought.
- Wearing versatile outfits that are appropriate in a variety of situations so I don’t have to change my look between events or activities throughout the day
- Keeping my clothes and accessories organized so I can find what I need and get out the door
- Avoiding overbuying. Having fewer high quality pieces that I truly love helps me accomplish my goal of ‘good enough’ better than a closet overflowing with fast fashion pieces.
How much energy do you focus on your daily look? Do you aim for ‘I don’t really care’, ‘good enough’, or ‘amazing’? What are your techniques for achieving that middle ground?
3 Comments
this really resonates with me! i’ve recently accepted a new position and I begin on monday (!!!). the past 6 months have been a whirlwind working evenings in a fine-dining restaurant and applying for jobs during the day. i workout every morning and i was finding that between working out and my restaurant uniform – at least i get to choose my tie- i almost forgot how to dress for myself and I was feeling a bit blasé and complacent, running errands in workout clothes and getting ready for work after that. come home. remove makeup. sleep. repeat. finally reminded myself how much better i feel when i go out in errands actually dressed with a teensy bit of makeup instead of bare skinned and sweaty … oh and the shoes i’ve missed wearing! thanks for sharing.
Thanks Alexandra! Congrats on the new position. Have fun getting dressed for work again and let me know if you have any questions you’d like to see answered here as you get back in the swing of things for either work or casual dressing!
[…] let’s be honest, I want to be especially comfy and put in a bit less effort on these days (back to that “good enough” strategy we talked about a couple of weeks ago). Here are some of my go to wardrobe pieces and beauty items for my summertime work at home […]