Today I am going to share with you all of the ways that my life is perfectly imperfect. I am inspired to do so because of something said to me in late October during one of my live Ask Stacey Zoom calls. One of the participants asked me how I always managed to be so positive.

Here is the truth: I struggle at least 50% of the time just like you. Maybe the big difference is that I think that is a pretty good ratio. There have been times when the struggle percentage has been higher.

Let me reveal 5 imperfections that I get to embrace on the daily.

1. blended family BS

I have the nicest husband on the planet. Seriously. And a loving, insightful teenage son. But sometimes  at the dinner table my son can say some provocative things and I worry about how my husband will feel. Or sometimes my husband wants to hang out with me but I worry that my son is feeling isolated due to the pandemic. My son never wants to watch the shows on Netflix that we like. Sometimes I wish there were 2 of me.

2. my biz

Many of you know that I took a major pivot 2 years ago and left veterinary medicine to become a life coach. That, in itself, really tested my failure tolerance. Low and behold, 24 months later, my business is thriving and I find it challenging to keep up. I am working on automating, delegating and eliminating but while I try to finesse this, there is a lot of perfectly imperfect. Top priority goes to my clients. Content creation and administrative chores is making it hard to sleep past 5 am. Most of these blogs are written before you are up. My personal time to just relax, read and study coaching is at an all time low. I am working more than I ever intended. Love the work but seek balance.

3. I am the head chef

Now that Toronto is cold and on lockdown, there is no dining out. Dinner for 3 every night and cooking 5 out of 7 (2 mandatory order-ins have been instituted). The execution isn’t really the problem. It is figuring out what to make and having the ingredients that I find taxing. I am in a pretty good rhythm of dinner prep every day around 6pm but I often get sidetracked with a client emergency. I think they hear me chopping through the air pods and I wonder if that is a problem.  How I long to go out for dinner in a restaurant of any caliber and be served.

4. my weight

My weight is at an all time high. I have only 2 pairs of jeans that fit well. My solution has been to extend the summer drawstring pants into this season. I would rather be chilly then uncomfortable around the waist. I am trying to learn to manage my urges but when I start to feel anxious in the evenings, I just want to eat chocolate. At least 50% of the time, I succumb to this urge. I don’t even enjoy it. It just blunts the anxiety for a bit then I go watch Netflix and crash. I wake up and weigh myself every morning. I spend way too much time coaching myself on this drama.

5. I miss seeing my parents

It has been exactly a year since I have given my parents a hug. They are in Florida and missed their usually summer stint in Toronto this year. My mom is turning 80 in May. I am worried that I won’t be there to celebrate with her. My dad was just treated for cancer and I couldn’t be with him. I missed his 81st birthday this week. My dad just lost his sister, my beloved Aunt Jewel, and I couldn’t even mourn with my folks.

I have a glass of wine with my parents every night at 5:30 over FaceTime, and that is lovely. If you are reading this – please be mindful and try not to require an emergency call at that time. I need it to maintain my life perfectly imperfect.