This is not going to be a truth bomb because I think most of us know intellectually that to smash homeschool working mom life, we need to embrace imperfection. But then why don’t our hearts and souls know it too?

Striving or wanting to strive for perfection is something that most of us do. We’re taught that to be happy, everything around us must be sunshine and roses at all times. But this is not possible. Life’s messy and unpredictable, as much as it’s beautiful and precious.

In this post, I want to give you practical ways to embrace imperfection and to have a homeschool working mom life that is manageable, sustainable and above all, enjoyable! So let’s dive in!

Don’t Compare Your Homeschool Working Mom Life to Hers

I know that I go on about the evils of comparison, but it truly is the ‘death of joy’, as Mark Twain said. And there are so many opportunities to compare in this day and age. Social media has its uses for a homeschool mom who works, but comparing your life to hers, isn’t one of them!

So what are some practical solutions to this? Well, you can give up social media entirely. I did it for a while and I must admit that there were some surprising results. But you don’t have to go that extreme.

You could..

• unfollow people who make you feel bad about yourself,
• only use the platforms that bring you joy (no nasty Twitter for me, thanks!),
• or follow positive hashtags and let the algorithm curate your feed.

Once you stop comparing, you’ll probably also feel like there’s less imperfection in your life. You’ll also be free to embrace your unique way of being, homeschooling and working, and enjoy it for what it is…yours!

Replace Rumination with Action

As someone on the cusp of Aquarius and Capricorn, I’m constantly pulled between two states of being. I either rush into things or overthink them to death. But I definitely don’t regret the things I’ve done and do regret the things I haven’t!

I’ve spent hours, days, weeks and even years, ruminating and not doing some things I really wanted to do. Starting my podcast is an example of this. I always wanted to do it but was so scared that it wouldn’t be good enough!

And now finally in my mid-forties, I’ve made a concerted effort to stop this bad habit. If I want to do something, I do it…even if it’s scary or uncomfortable. Because I only have this one life and I want to make the most of it!

This has extended to all spheres of my life. And if you’re someone who also tends to overthink, these practical steps could help you to ruminate less and do more…

• If something is really not working in your homeschool, then you could simply stop doing it. I know it seems counterintuitive and scary. But I’ve spoken to so many working homeschool moms, and this is something they all consistently say. And if you don’t want to stop it entirely, you could go back to it after some time.
• Being in a job that doesn’t pay well, that takes too much of your time and energy, or that you simply don’t like, can make every day a challenge. Now I know that changing your career isn’t that easy, but you could do something small today to get the ball rolling towards something better. Buy a course, speak to your boss about better conditions or book that website domain for your dream business.
• Cooking and cleaning routines that are too draining or hard to maintain should also go. There’s always another (often easier) way to do something. But you’ll only find out if you stop thinking about it and start doing it. And if things go awry for a while, you’ll probably quickly realize that it’s not the end of the world. And each ‘mistake’ is a learning opportunity after all.

Find that Mindset Magic

You’ve probably gathered that I’m a huge mindset fan. That’s why it’s one of the questions I ask my podcast guests because I know how important it is. And time and time they tell me that mindset is everything. In order to be happy and thriving working homeschool moms, we need to put in the mindset work because it’s a huge part of embracing imperfection and thriving! Here are some practical things you can do:

• Start journaling as a way to track your goals and dreams, to keep track of where you are and where you’ve come from and to get rid of negative feelings.
• See mistakes as a starting point from where to grow and improve.
• Accept yourself and give yourself all the self-love possible. This includes embracing your ‘flaws’ and ‘imperfections’.
• Treat yourself well by resting enough, nourishing your body and exercising.
• Make self-care priority number one. Apart from treating your body well, set boundaries, leave toxic relationships and make mental health a priority.

I know that it’s easier said than done to embrace imperfection. As I said, it took me more that 40 years to get to this point! But as with any major change, start small. Take baby steps in the right direction and before you know it, you’ll be there! And your ‘imperfect’ life will be totally, 100% perfect.

I would love to help you to embrace imperfection. Please book in a coaching call with me if you feel you need some help with it.