You know those nights where you are so tired, even the thought of changing into your pajamas exhausts you? Where, if you’re in a multi-story house or apartment, the thought of dragging your feet up a flight of stairs is enough to make the couch a tempting bed.
I have a very distinct memory of one of those nights where I turned to my roommate and said, “I’m seriously about to crash out hard. I’m so tired; I’m not even going to brush my teeth.”
A few moments later, we bumped into each other in the hallway, my toothbrush in hand. “I thought you were too tired to brush your teeth?” they laughed.
I spit out the toothpaste and looked back. “Fine… but I’m not going to brush them well.”
A few moments later, after flossing my teeth and crawling into bed, I found myself thinking about this kind of tired… where we want to write off doing something completely because we don’t think we have the energy or time to do it perfectly.
Almost 100% of the time, if I decide to try for even a minute—knowing it’ll be sloppy or “not my best work” or whatever else—I find my energy. And, I find it worth it.
It doesn’t have to be done flawlessly to be worth doing. A little bit of dental hygiene is better than none at all. One chapter of a book is better than none. A short run is better than no run.
Now, if I have those moments where I want to skip this habit or routine or whatever because I don’t think I have the time or energy to do it to the level I usually do, I think about my toothbrush and I remember that even a quick teeth cleaning is better than none at all.
Love always,
Liz
