It's Okay to Screw Up

The title is self-explanatory.  But the emotion behind it is more complicated.

See, lately I've been struggling with Parenting Perfectionism.  It's capitalized because it is, in fact, a thing. And it's not a good thing. 

Don't get me wrong, it's great to want to do the best job possible for your child.  In fact, if you didn't want that for him or her, there might be something really wrong with you.

Great job! (Playing our ABC game)

But I am learning that there's a difference between wanting to do the best you can as a parent, and pursuing goals that are unrealistic, which sets you up for failure.  And feeling like you're a lousy parent isn't good for you OR your child.

How NOT to Fail

I came across this piece on Forbes.com entitled "Ten Reasons Why We Fail." It's a must-read in my book. And one of the most interesting things I took away from this piece is that a common thread ran through many of the ten listed reasons that can explain a lack of success.

What is that thread?  It's our own limiting beliefs.

By using the term "limiting beliefs," I mean that we often are our own worst enemies because we don't believe that we can achieve what we want to do for various reasons. And our own mindset often becomes our reality.....which is why cultivating the right mindset can really be the key to our success.

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