No wonder we keep falling off
This year, I’m officially scrapping the word perfection from my vocabulary.
I’ve spent enough time chasing it to know how this usually ends. Tired, frustrated and quietly convinced I should be doing better, even when I’m already trying.
When it comes to bodies, image and how we think we should look, perfection behaves like a mythical creature. Everyone talks about it. Everyone seems to think someone else has found it. Yet no one ever actually gets to sit there comfortably for long.
Perfection shifts depending on who you’re comparing yourself to. It changes with trends, filters, age, life stage and the stories we absorb without realising it. What looks “perfect” today will be outdated tomorrow, and yet we keep measuring ourselves against it as if it’s a fixed target.
The irony is that the people we admire most rarely feel perfect themselves. The body you envy belongs to someone who wishes their arms were different. The confident person in the room still has days where they avoid mirrors. Everyone has their own version of the unicorn they’re trying to stay on.
That’s because perfection only exists through comparison. It asks us to stack ourselves up against others while ignoring the obvious differences. Different genetics. Different schedules. Different responsibilities. Different histories. None of that gets factored in when we decide we’re falling short.
Also Read: The Gift of Belief: What My Daughter’s Journey Back to Competition Teaches All Of Us
Over time, that way of thinking wears you down. Progress stops counting because it doesn’t look dramatic. Effort feels invisible. You start focusing on what isn’t working instead of what clearly is.
I’m done with that.
This year, I’m choosing to measure progress instead of chasing an idea that keeps moving the goalposts.
Progress is something you can actually see and feel. It’s not about being “better” than anyone else. It’s about being better than you were before, in ways that fit your real life.
For me, it’s about the evolution of Andrea.
Not a polished final version, just someone who is fitter than she was, a bit braver in how she shows up, and generally happier in her own skin than this time last year.
Progress allows for missed workouts and busy weeks. It makes space for days when motivation is low and life gets loud. It doesn’t label you a failure because things aren’t perfect. It simply asks whether you’re moving forward over time.
When you stop chasing perfection, the signs of change become easier to spot. You notice that everyday tasks feel less tiring. You recover quicker. You don’t spiral as fast when things don’t go to plan. You speak to yourself with more patience than you used to.
Those shifts don’t make good before-and-after photos, but they’re real. And they last.
If you’re unsure where you stand, try looking back rather than outward. Pick a point in time, six months or a year ago, and compare yourself only to that version of you.
What feels easier now?
What habits have stuck, even loosely?
What do you handle better than you used to?
That’s progress. And it’s far more reliable than any mythical standard.
Perfection is a unicorn we’re all meant to ride. It looks impressive from a distance, but it was never built to carry real people with real lives.
So I’m stepping off.
I’m measuring effort, change and improvement over time instead. That feels honest. It feels achievable. And it finally feels like something I can stay on.
