Friday Fieldwork: Praise the Progress (Even Your Own)
Routines matter — but they’re not the measure of your worth.
It’s easy to see what I missed.
The snoozed alarm.
The skipped workout.
The window I meant to clean but forgot — again.
My brain catches the cracks faster than anything else.
Not because I’m lazy — but because I care.
Because I’ve set a standard.
And I really want to meet it.
But here’s the problem:
That standard doesn’t bend.
And when the plan falls apart, I don’t just feel off-track — I feel like I failed.
One missed morning spirals into a week of “fixing.”
A new app.
A new supplement.
A new rabbit hole of routines I’ll probably abandon by next Friday.
Lately though, I’ve been trying something different.
Instead of fixing, I’m learning to see.
The 10 minutes I did journal.
The short walk I squeezed in before dinner.
The choice to drink water instead of another coffee.
I don’t dismiss the cracks — but I don’t let them erase the bricks either.
Because perfectionism may wear a disciplined disguise —
But it teaches me nothing about grace.
And I need grace —
Especially from me.
Try This 3-Part Reset:
1. Catch the Good.
Before you rewrite the plan or start over (again), pause.
Ask: What went well today?
Find the effort, not just the error.
2. Say It Out Loud.
Get specific.
What did you do right?
What part of the plan did happen — even if it was just one thing?
Say it out loud.
Bonus points if your kids hear it. Grace is better caught than taught.
3. Do the Next Right Thing.
Not the next perfect thing.
Just the next kind thing.
Fold the towel.
Fill your water bottle.
Step outside for two minutes of quiet.
Start again — without shame.
You don’t need to scrap the plan.
You just need to see the good that’s still working.
Fieldwork Prompt:
This weekend, catch yourself mid-spiral.
Pause.
Name one thing you did do.
Say it out loud.
Then take the next right step.
Let that be your fieldwork.
Let that be your micro-blessing — to yourself.
Thank you!