Oct 5, 2026 · Theme of the week: Progress over perfection
Mental Monday - Edition 40
| Mental Monday |
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| “Be content if the greater part of what thou doest is consistent with man’s nature.” - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations |
| Theme of the week: Progress over perfection |
| Last week, I reached the end of a day feeling like I had wasted it. |
| I spent hours running annoying errands. I had also re-organized my schedule and planned the next couple of weeks ahead logistically. |
| As the evening came around, I started feeling anxious. I hadn’t spent any time working on the business and other work-related tasks. There were speaker notes to prepare, newsletters to write, research to do, and people to connect with. I wanted to pull out my laptop and start working because everything I had already done felt like it didn’t count. |
| I recognized that feeling. I used to experience it in sport, too. |
| If I hadn’t worked extremely hard or managed to fit everything into a perfectly balanced day, I felt like I had wasted an opportunity to improve. There was always something else I could have done. Even when I had put in the effort, I could find a reason it wasn’t enough. |
| Looking back, though, some of the most valuable parts of my development didn’t come from perfect days or performance. Slower sessions focused on tactics and technique helped me become a better goalkeeper. Recovery was part of the job, too. Giving my body time to rest helped me sustain the work over time. |
| I understood that in sport, yet here I was struggling to give myself the same understanding in everyday life. |
| When I looked back at what I had actually done that day, my perspective began to shift. I had completed errands that would otherwise have interrupted my work throughout the week. Organizing my schedule had given me a clearer sense of where my time needed to go. |
| Without those smaller tasks being done, the coming days would likely have carried more pressure. I had created some breathing room, and that helped me approach the week with more clarity. |
| Marcus Aurelius’s words remind us to be more reasonable with ourselves. In this passage, he encourages us to return to our principles, rather than becoming discouraged by our own imperfections. I take that as a reminder to keep making a sincere effort while allowing myself some grace. |
| I am learning that progress can look ordinary. Sometimes it means small wins. Those things deserve recognition, even when they don’t feel like major accomplishments. A day does not have to be perfect to have value. |
| This week, before deciding you haven’t done enough, take an honest look at what you have done. Give yourself credit for the steps that are helping you move forward. The small wins help make the bigger ones possible. |
| Stay strong, even when you are not. It’s okay, you are not alone. |
| Love always, |
| Michael Argyrides |
| Pathtobecoming.ca |
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