Done is Better than Perfect

I try to do yoga every day. I truly enjoy it, and I always notice that I’m happier after I practice, whether I do a full hour or a shorter practice.

One thing that I’ve been struggling with, though, is the feeling that in order to do “yoga,” I need to commit to it fully and carry out the entire ritual. I change into yoga clothes, lay out the mat, commit to a specific amount of time, and then I feel like I’m doing what I’m “supposed to do.”

The problem with this way of thinking, is that sometimes I don’t feel like doing the entire ritual.

There are days that instead of spending 10-20 minutes doing light stretching and breathing, which I know will make my day better, I don’t do anything at all because I think that I’m not doing yoga unless I carry out the entire ritual.

The truth is, sometimes I just want to sit on the couch and stretch and breathe for 10 minutes. And that’s yoga! And it’s OK!

It’s actually better than OK. Even after a few minutes of breathing and stretching I feel better. There’s no reason to think that I need to wait until I can carry out the entire ritual to practice yoga.

I know it’s a common saying, but it’s very true that done is better than perfect. It’s better for me to do 10-15 minutes of breathing and stretching (which is yoga!), than to wait until I can commit to the entire ritual.