Human health is a maddeningly massive topic. Take into account that humans are not identical input-output machines – we differ in genetic, environmental, and neuroendocrine factors (like hormones), and with this complexity we find ourselves in a virtually infinite, overwhelming sea. When we want to make healthy change, it can be paralyzing to know where to begin, and scary to begin in one area because it means not starting everywhere else. On Imperfection will address this through the use of an analogy. It can feel like we’re the proverbial donkey stuck deciding between hay barrels for so long that we starve to death before choosing a direction. Except instead of two, we have virtually infinite directions to choose from.
The idea behind Core 5 is as a tool to lessen the possible directions. When we bring some clarity to what area could be impactful to tweak, we can start sooner than later. If you’re on this blog, you’re probably considering how taking action could help you live a healthier life. If I may be so bold, I’m guessing it can be a struggle to know where to focus your efforts for your desired outcome. This is normal, something we all experience.
It takes a determined person to take action. To make it easier to take that first, brave step of action in one of the Core 5 areas, we must accept that we are not perfect or all-knowing. The good news? We don’t have to be to make impactful change in our lives. Otherwise, who could ever begin?
Food for Thought – The Tree Analogy
There’s an analogy I find comforting when there’s an overwhelming amount of possible directions to take.
Pretend you’re an artist drawing a tree. Not a cartoon tree, but a realistic, complex tree. You have a blank piece of paper and a pencil in front of you. Where do you begin? At the trunk? A branch? Perhaps a single leaf will be the first thing you draw.
The important part is not where you start, but that you choose one very specific place to start. This part can be nerve-wracking – it takes courage to make a first mark down on the blank paper. It’s normal to be unsure and it takes a determined person to put that pencil to paper. And once you have your first leaf down on paper, then what? Well, then you can move on to your second leaf. However, you cannot move on to your second leaf until you have finished drawing your first.
In this analogy, the parts already drawn represent our body of knowledge and what we’ve accomplished. The parts of the tree that aren’t on paper represent what we don’t know or don’t have yet. Given the complexity of humans and our health, it’s quite a lot, isn’t it? In one way, it’s frustrating, but in another, there’s a beauty to it because it means there will never be a day in our lives where improvement isn’t attainable. If we choose to, we can always make positive progress.
Humans aren’t Perfect, but Perfection is Unnecessary
We spend too much time in the blank space, don’t we? Concerning over what we don’t know and don’t have. We give this blank space more attention than it deserves, and by doing so we discourage ourselves and neglect the parts of the tree that we do have. As our artist, I imagine you’re not even thinking of all the blank space when you’re focused on drawing a specific leaf or branch, yet that blank space is often where we spend time inside our mind.
Sure, we can dip out and slowly expand once in a while, add a leaf here and a branch there over time. Though what if we were to focus mostly on what we do have, not what we don’t?
We’re not going to be able to draw a very good branch if we’re splitting our attention with all the blank space that’s left. When you, our artist, are focused on drawing a new branch in one specific spot on the paper, you won’t be thinking about the empty space on the other side of the paper. It’d be overwhelming, even for a practiced, seasoned artist. It can’t all be taken on at once. We cannot draw our tree with a single stroke of our pencil.
Let’s Connect Analogy to Real Life
Learning every single thing about human health would take thousands of lifetimes to achieve. I think of it like expecting a biologist to be able to name every single species on earth. It’s unrealistic, we can’t expect it from ourselves, it will only lead to discouragement. Our tree will never be complete. No one else’s tree will ever be complete either. A rushed job for a complex drawing just won’t be sufficient.
Working on our health is the most complex drawing imaginable, a job for an entire lifetime. Another reason why working on improving it takes serious guts and deserves respect. It’s way harder than it sounds, especially if you’re competitive. However, a steady trajectory of adding a leaf or a branch here and there, living mostly in the area that we’ve already drawn – recognizing our strengths and accomplishments – will always be enough to live an extraordinarily healthy life.
Recognizing and accepting that perfection isn’t achievable is the price we must pay to move toward progress.
Being okay with Imperfection
If we can learn to be okay with not knowing everything, with not having a perfect, finished tree; if we recognize that there will be frustrating moments where we’ll get stuck; and if we are accepting of this and recognize it as normal, we will build resiliency over time. We will experience fewer painful, stressful moments when we recognize that this is something everyone experiences and has to struggle through. It’s not just me, and it’s not just you. We’re all works in progress. Often, this recognition alone can make a huge difference to our outlook, our attitude, and can be powerful stress management.
Each leaf is a tiny part of the picture, but we will never fill the picture without these tiny elements. Small actions like drinking an extra cup of water before dinner, or getting up for a two minute walk during the workday, are our tiny leaves. They can seem so small as to gloss over without consequence – “Oh, I’ll just make up for it tomorrow.” But if we ignore the leaves, we’ll have a much less detailed and rich drawing. The slow accumulation of tiny leaves are what make all the difference to our drawing.
A step forward is a step forward. Rarely can we ever get to a destination in a single step, but we need that single step first if we’re going to take a second, a third, and so on.
We are humans, we are imperfect. This is not something to lament over. Rather, let’s celebrate it because if it weren’t the case, we’d be robotic and dull. Instead, we get to be hopeful, have fun, make mistakes, and live unique lives.
On Imperfection – Conclusion
Let’s embrace our imperfect, beautiful trees. While we can continue to add to them throughout our lifetimes, there is no hurry because there is no universal endpoint when working on our health. We can only draw one leaf at a time. We have to choose one and let go of working on all the others while we work on that one. There will always be more to add, and at the same time, we can always step back to appreciate what we’ve already put down on paper.
I end some of my posts with saying, “Cheers to tiny steps!” In this case, cheers to drawing some tiny, beautiful, impactful leaves!