“A+ vs B+…”

 Shared by Breanne Smedley

There was a time in my life when I would cringe at even the thought of anything lower than an A showing up on a report card.

I used to run to the mailbox right around the time report cards were sent home every year.

I’d quickly off the tiny strips of paper surrounding the edges. Unfold the paper, and have a feeling of contentment rush over me as I ran my eyes down the page.

Straight A’s. All was right with the world.

Until one time, it wasn’t.

My senior year in high school, my eyes stopped short as I completed my usual report card ritual.

Anatomy: A-

What?! That minus would haunt me for weeks.

Like a blemish I just wanted to pick. 
A mark I wanted to take an eraser to and remove.

I’ve come a long way since then.

In fact, my high school self would be mortified to hear the standard I’m striving for in the report card of “life.”

B+.

Yep, B+ work now beats A+ work in my world.

In most cases, I’ve found that A+ work is actually unattainable and unsustainable.

It prevents me from feeling any forward momentum.

When the house has to have every square inch vacuumed and scrubbed. 
When the content I develop needs to be perfectly curated. 
When my hair needs to be blow dried and straightened every day.

Those things keep me from actually doing anything, because seeking perfection is never-ending.

Something can always be better. So I end up wasting precious time in the pursuit of perfection.

While I try to make the house shine, Charlee is waiting to play blocks with me.

While I wait until content is “perfect,” I waste days, weeks, and months holding back a message that needs to be heard.

And in a ponytail can still look classy…(or so I’ve told myself)

I’ve also learned that B+ work in most areas of life is actually pretty damn good…

Heck, most baseball players in the hall of fame bat .300.

In volleyball, a player hitting .500 is considered phenomenal.

And by traditional grading standards, 30% batting and 50% hitting efficiency are still “F”s.

For me, B+ allows for a house that is mostly clean.

A laundry pile pretty much done (there’s always that one load that stays unfolded throughout the week…)

Content created and published regularly.

Projects started, and even finished.

B+ isn’t settling.

It’s sustainable 
It’s forward momentum. 
It’s taking action.

B+ feels good.

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#MindfullyEvolving

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