Tell Your Story Tuesday...Challenge #11

Perfectly Imperfect

This week’s challenge is another deep thinking one.  The hardest part in this challenge really, is to truly be honest. We are all human, and therefore imperfect. It’s hard to embrace our imperfections sometimes. We want others to think we are perfect, right?  But it’s okay to embrace our imperfections, as much as it’s okay to admit that we’re doing pretty good in other areas as well!
What are 5 things you have (or almost have) perfected? What are 5 things you are far from perfect in?

(almost) perfect…

• Cooking – I like to cook and I’m one of those people that always use a recipe as a “guideline.”  I usually try to customize it to fit things my family likes, like omit onions or add garlic, etc.  I ALWAYS use more spices than most call for.  It seems to me a lot of time, especially those you find on the internet or a church cookbook seem to be a bit bland for us.  I like to bake too, those you can’t play with too much, but my family loves when I bake.

• Making Lists – I’m a list girl.  For one thing, if I don’t write something down I tend to forget about it.  Plus I love getting check something off that has been accomplished, it makes me feel productive.

• Crafts – I love crafting.  I have gone through spurts where I’ll do one craft a lot, then try something else and get all addicted to that, then just stop for a while and not do anything.  But I’ve tried lots of different things, and with instruction I can usually do a pretty good job of it.  Plus I like being able to say “I made that myself.”   Although I can always find flaws in my stuff, most people are always impressed with my creations.  I guess I’m my own worst critic.

• Washing My Hands – I’m almost OCD about this.  I wash my hands at least 20 times a day.  Before I start cooking, after I get home from someplace, after using the restroom, after cleaning.  I don’t know maybe I’m a  germaphobe, but I will say, I hardly ever get sick.

• Cleaning My House – I’m not talking about scrub the baseboards, spotless clean, but I try hard to at least keep everything picked up and presentable.  I cannot stand to leave dishes in my sink, I vacuum twice a week, swish the toilets often and wipe down the sink and counters.  With 2 teenagers, it’s not always an easy feat.

• Yelling – This wasn’t my answer, I asked my kids for suggestions while making this list and both of them said this and didn’t know the other had offered it up.  I do not yell all the time, they exaggerate…but maybe if they’d pick up after themselves once in a while.

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(far from) perfect…

• Budgeting – I make a budget every month.  My problem is actually FOLLOWING it.  It seems to turn out more of a track my spending kind of thing.  I can tell you where all of my money is going….it’s just not always where it’s SUPPOSE to be going.

• Exercising Regularly – I go through spurts, where I will exercise pretty regularly for a while…then I forget, or get busy and there goes my good habit.  Then I’ll go weeks before even doing it again.  I wish this was something I could get addicted to, like lip balm or baseball.

• Listening – I think I’m ADD, and I am horrible at actually sitting quietly and listening.  Someone will be talking to me, and something they will triggers a response and I have a hard time waiting til the end to give it without interrupting.  And if I do wait….I usually forget what it was when it’s my turn.  Or if I’m in the middle of doing something and someone tries to tell me something, I have a hard time stopping mid-task and giving my full attention, then I’ve missed half of the story.  If you know me, I’m sure I’ve probably done this to you and I’m sorry.

• Multi-tasking – I use to think I was good at this….I’m really NOT.  I’ve come to realize that when I’m trying multi-task, none of those tasks are really getting my full attention.  So then one gets partially done, while I start another, then I flip back and forth, taking twice as long to finish….or each is only getting a partial effort and I’m not really giving a good quality product….like that listening thing.

• Calling My Parents – I really stink at this.  They both live within about 15 miles of me, but I hardly see them or even talk to them.  I just get busy doing my own thing and when I get free time, I don’t usually use it to talk on the phone.  I need to start making more of an effort.  I don’t want my kids to grow up and ignore me…treat others and all that.

• Cleaning My House – I have 2 teenagers…it’s an effort to keep the house clean.  And I don’t dust every week or scrub the baseboards.  I have too much stuff in my house, so you run out of places to keep things, or there’s that spot on the bar that tends to collect mail and sunglasses and keys.  There are rooms I try not to even walk into if I can help it (the girls rooms), my closets aren’t neat.  I don’t know what I’ll do if I ever try to sell my house…

What about you...what are your perfect imperfections?

Link up and play along.