Why Imperfect Action Is Better Than No Action at All

Oct 19

This is one of the BEST mantras ever written: imperfect action is better than no action at all. When it comes to changing how your body looks and feels, there is no better mantra than this one. Why? Because the ONLY way to change your body (i.e. fix your back pain, lose weight, get healthier) is by taking small, consistent, and IMPERFECT steps.

I think most of us women hit a point in our lives when we want to change how we look or how we feel. Honestly, I’ve never met a woman who has everything that I’ve ever wanted and doesn’t have to try hard for it.

Said another way: I’ve never met a woman who is crushing it in life who doesn’t spend multiple hours per week on herself. Not in a self-obsessed way (although I’ve met plenty of women like this, too!) but in a I-value-who-I-am type of way. And this fascinates me.

How do they do it? How do they move so smoothly and confidently through their day, sometimes rocking high heels without lower back pain or slim pants without busting the seams?

After almost a decade of working with women, I can confidently say that these women have figured out that imperfect action is better than no action at all.

They’ve discovered that imperfect consistency is the trick to changing their body.

It’s not doing 45-minute HIIT workouts every single day at precisely 5am wearing designer yoga pants and Nike’s while sporting the perfect high bun.

It’s figuring out what makes them feel good and what they can get on-board with doing every single day…IMPERFECTLY.

For me, during this chapter of life, I feel good about committing to 30 minutes per day working on my body and mind. I find it so freaking revitalizing and energizing. I move however I want for about 25 minutes and then do about 5 minutes of some type of stress relief.

Usually it looks like this: I just finished getting my kindergartener on the bus and cleaning up the kitchen from our morning madness and my twin 2-year-olds are in pretty good moods because their stomachs are full and they haven’t played yet that day. So I set them up with a basket of toys next to me and do whatever I want for my me-time. Usually I do a workout video like from Denise Austin or Yoga with Adrienne. Or sometimes I set the girls up in our double stroller and I take them for a walk during that time. And then my five minutes of stress-relief usually involves jotting down some affirmations in a notebook or making a few lists of things I’m thankful for or things that I’m looking forward to or something like that.

So here’s the million dollar question: if you were to commit to my 30-minute per day idea, how would YOU spend that time?

Take out a piece of paper right now and really think about this. How could YOU apply this to your life? What makes you happy? What type of movement feels best for you and is most energizing and makes you feel strong or makes you stand up straighter?

All it takes it deciding to move your body imperfectly every single day.