As I write at my computer, I can hear a robin working hard to install her nest above our front window. She must have built one there last year and probably even before that, but we installed new windows this year. The ledge on the new window is either not as wide or more slippery, but she is having a very hard time establishing her nest. A growing pile of long, dry grasses is gathering below the window because whenever the breeze picks up, her work is blown to the ground.

We have been watching this heartbreaking (for us) drama unfold for about a week now. My earnest 9-year-old feels passionate about helping this bird establish her seasonal home and insisted that she go to our window so that she has a more stable place to roost. This weekend, my devoted husband took all three girls to the hardware store in their pajamas, came home with a birdhouse and installed it as directed. Problem solved, right?!

No. The robin doesn’t even look at the birdhouse, which we even stocked with lovely birdseed. She just continues to plug away at her window ledge. It is a stretch to compare the instinctive behavior of a wild animal to human endeavors, but I started thinking that maybe the robin is not as sad, frustrated, upset, and desperate as we are for her to create a beautiful, stable nest. She is rebuilding her nest, and that’s just what she does. She shows up every day and does it, even when it doesn’t work.

I aim to stick to things that matter to me, even when it’s not going 100% perfect. As it pertains to this blog, eating a plant-based diet is important to me for many reasons. Still, sometimes, I find myself in a social situation where I eat something that has dairy or egg in it, either accidentally or knowingly. This doesn’t happen often, but it is worth mentioning that I am not perfect, nor is perfection my goal.

The point is that no one is perfect, and perfect is the enemy of good. Granted, plenty of people are better at this than I am, and my goal is to get better each day. Ultimately, choosing against my stated values - eating plant-based - does not feel great, physically or emotionally. Spending too much energy criticizing myself for being imperfect is even worse. So much online content is perfectly curated, but real life is messy. I hope that sharing my experience with imperfection will create space for discussion or permit someone else to try eating plant-based without feeling like “you’re in or you're out.” Life, emotions, and human behavior are so much more complicated than that.

Here’s to doing a little bit every day.

How do you handle veering off the path when changing a habit?

*As always, this website and blog information is not medical advice. Please consult your medical professional if you are changing your health behaviors, including starting a new diet or exercise program.