Thursday Thirteen

Life lessons don’t come neatly packaged, and sometimes we learn them the hard way. As a perfectionist and a procrastinator, I've had my share of issues with time management and life skills. This is especially true with my writing. So here are 13 life lessons that I've learned over the years. Some of them I know but still don't do especially well. I need more practice, I guess.

1. Done is better than perfect – A finished novel, even if it never sees the light of day, is better than no novel at all.

2. Starting is the hardest part – Sitting down to write that first sentence or make that first brushstroke feels impossible, but once you start, you wonder why you waited so long.

3. Small progress is still progress – Writing one paragraph a day eventually adds up to a book.

4. Nobody notices the tiny flaws you obsess over – That tiny typo in your blog post? Most readers won’t even see it.

5. You don’t have to be good at something to enjoy it – Singing in the car, doodling in a notebook, or dancing in your kitchen still bring joy, even if you're not "great" at them.

6. Your worth isn’t tied to productivity – Watching a movie, taking a nap, or spending a day doing nothing isn’t wasted time—it’s recharging.

7. Mistakes are part of learning – The first time you write a poem, it might not sound like a poem. It might sound like a brick hitting a wall. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try again.

8. Set a deadline and stick to it – If you tell yourself you’ll clean the closet “someday,” it’ll never happen. But if you say “I’ll spend 15 minutes on it today,” you’ll make progress. The same goes for writing. Give it a few minutes a day.

9. Not everything needs maximum effort – You don’t need to deep-clean the house just because company is coming over for coffee. You also don't need to write a novel in a month.

10. Self-compassion is more important than self-discipline – If you miss a deadline or don’t meet your goals, beating yourself up won’t help. Encouraging yourself will.

11. Break tasks into tiny steps – Instead of saying, “I need to write a blog post,” say, “I’ll write the first sentence.” One small step makes the next easier.

12. Action creates motivation, not the other way around – You won’t always feel inspired to exercise, but if you just put on your sneakers and start stretching, you’ll feel more motivated. If you start writing, even a little bit, you just might keep at it.

13. Perfection is an illusion – Even bestselling books have typos. Even award-winning movies have plot holes. Nothing is flawless, and that’s okay.

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 898th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.