Seize Opportunities; Don't Wait for Perfection

I'm super good at gathering information.  I look at Pinterest; I read books; I go to classes; I attend groups; I attend church.  Sometimes, I find myself waiting to implement positive change.  What am I waiting for?  I'm waiting until I know enough or until I understand it thoroughly.  I wait until I have a perfect plan ready to implement.  I wait until timing is just right and cue cards are ready.  I want the perfect path before I take a step.

In my life, I have found that this has WASTED so many good opportunities!  It has left me feeling like it's never enough.  I'll never be good enough.  What a lie!  That is just crap!  I'm calling it what it is.  More and more, I'm trying to seize the moment and implement things as they show up.  Most of the time, I don't implement them perfectly.  I don't always stick with them or turn them into habits.  But, I have gained so much by doing good things without waiting!

I especially see this playing out in my parenting.  Want to implement chores?  Want to teach the gospel more?  Want to teach values?  Want to teach money responsibility?  JUST DO IT! Do it in the small moments.  Do it in small amounts.  It's ok if you don't have charts and lesson plans and worksheets and quantifiable results (can you tell I was a teacher?).  It counts!  It's good!  And it ADDS UP!!!

For example, one area that I feel that I haven't done well with my children is teaching them financial responsibility and money matters.  I've researched allowances and tried to figure out the perfect "system."  Well, folks, life takes trial and error.  It takes adjusting.  It takes making mistakes and learning from them. It takes flexibility!

My 10 year old daughter has been trying to save money for something she wants.  I tried to see if it was just a passing whim, but she has really stuck with it.  For a kid with no allowance, it's a large sum of money that she needs to get.  In the past, I would have discouraged her.  I wouldn't have seized this teaching opportunity.

When I realized that this was not going to just pass, I got on board to try to help teach some financial responsibility and to teach her about goal setting, sticking with it, and achieving it!  We talked about options for her to make money.  She settled on making lip glosses and selling them.  This is something I really enjoy doing.   We talked about how much we would sell them for.  I had her pay for supplies.  We talked about how much would need to be paid for tithing.  She helped make the lip gloss.  It has been QUALITY time with my daughter (her love language...bonus!). It has sent the message that I care!

Because of the kindness and goodness of my neighbors (seriously, they are the best. ever. and I'm not kidding), she has experienced success in working toward her goal!  Yay!!  She hasn't reached her overall goal yet, but she sure is motivated to keep going.

I have loved seeing her confidence grow.  I can she her learning.  Has it been perfect?  No!  Have we had a perfect business plan?  No!  Did we wait to have cute labels, shrink wrap, etc?  No.  But if I was waiting for all of that, I would have missed ALL OF THIS!!!! We started where we were.  We used what we had.

Seize the opportunities that present themselves. In my experience, the things we need show up when we need them.  This is how God has worked in my life.  Believe me, sometimes I have wanted to "Return to Sender," but in hind sight I always see God's wisdom.  Don't wait for perfection to implement good things in your life.  Do it now.  Do it in small amounts.  Do it a little at a time.  JUST DO IT!!!

I have never regretted it yet!

MUCH LOVE!!  💕

Heather