Dear Reader,

How are you doing these days? How do you feel when you wake up?

Many of us start our day with the feeling that we are behind. Behind in work, in school, our health goals, our finances, or our relationships.

Prolonged, we end up feeling like we are spending our whole lives trying to catch up– catch up to who or what is not always exactly obvious, but we know we’re running behind.

And so we end up burnt out.
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If you often find yourself in this position of never being productive enough, always behind, and overwhelmed by the prospect of how much you still have left to do, I offer a different perspective: You are already caught up, and anything you accomplish today is progress.
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You are already caught up, and anything you accomplish today is progress.

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It’s two very different perspectives: Scrambling to catch up, versus simply making progress. Even when what we accomplish in a day is the exact same, emotionally we will end the day on very different levels.

When we take on the perspective of catch-up, we may lie in bed stressing about what we didn’t finish, and what we need to do tomorrow. We feel like a mess, and over time, burnt out.

But when we choose the perspective of progress, we let ourselves feel accomplished, productive, and confident. We take our time and are able to rest when we need to, rather than feeling guilt over the prospect of doing nothing.

A tradition of valuing imperfection

Humans are psychologically prone to see things through the negative lens– we are biologically drawn to focus on our shortcomings, mistakes, and imperfections. While helpful in the world of survival, in the modern world this can negatively affect our ability to find contentment in life.

In moments like this, I like to remind myself that in Japanese culture there are several traditions that emphasize the value of imperfection:

• Wabi-sabi (侘び寂び) is a philosophy that values imperfection and finds beauty in the natural.
• Kintsugi (金継ぎ) is the Japanese art of taking broken ceramic pieces and fixing it with gold, which doesn’t just fix the cracks, but makes it beautiful.
• Mottainai (勿体無い) embodies the idea of valuing objects even when they are no longer perfect, urging repair, reuse, or repurposing rather than discarding things.

In this way, this appreciation for imperfection can help us reflect on the transient nature of life, where value lies not in perfection, but in the journey.

We're allowed to focus not on what we lack, but on our progress there.

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​​Compassion for yourself is key

When it comes to consistency and perseverance, compassion is key. Focus not on what you have yet to do, but try to see your life through the lens of continuous progress– recount what you have done and accomplished at the end of the day, and then let the day reset tomorrow.

You are already caught up, and anything you accomplish today is progress.

Warm regards,

Kaki

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