Letting Go of Perfectionism, One Winter Day at a Time
Welcome back, friends. Since my last blog post, I’ve been walking through the slow, often unseen work of letting go of perfectionism. What I didn’t expect was how deeply perfectionism had been tied to my discontentment—always wanting more. As that grip loosened, Yahweh’s shalom made room to settle in, and this winter has become a place of rest I didn’t know I needed.
I’m writing this post about a month before you’ll read it. I never quite know how a month will unfold, and I’ve learned to work ahead without deadlines looming over me. Over the last couple of months, I’ve been practicing release in small, ordinary ways—and something very beautiful happened.
My peace and joy returned.
Winter Habits That Calm the Nervous System
Winter has felt like the perfect time to focus on life-giving habits that calm the nervous system and let go of perfectionism. I’ve been leaning into that intentionally. I use many of the habits and strategies I shared in a previous blog post. I love having a list of ideas to choose from depending on what I need that day. Some days I do more, some days less—and that freedom has been a gift.
We’ve been getting to bed very early this winter, and I’ve loved winding down with reading. My current read is Michael’s Gentle Wife. I don’t read much fiction these days, but books by Karen Andreola are just lovely and make such a wonderful bedtime read. Most nights we’re asleep by 9:00–9:30 p.m., even on weekends.
If I feel the need to linger in bed longer in the mornings, I allow myself to do that. Still, my body naturally wakes between 4:30–5:00 a.m. each day.
Sabbath: Our Weekly Anchor of Rest
You’ve heard me share often about our sabbath rest—it truly is an incredible anchor. This winter, our family’s Sabbath carries many of the same rhythms it always has, with a slight shift from last year.
We still gather to learn, praise, and fellowship with other believers. We lay down all our work by sunset on Friday, share a special family dinner, and then spend the next 24 hours resting—no work at all. It’s glorious. Sabbath creates space for us to set this time apart and gives us more energy and clarity for the other six days of the week.
I especially love having Sunday as a quiet work day at home to begin our week together before the men of the house head to their jobs on Monday and homeschooling lessons begin again.
Opening Our Home for Bible Study
This winter we have opened our home for an eight-week midweek Bible study with ten other families, and it has been such a blessing. We have been walking through Philippians and Colossians together. Some families were long-time friends, and others were new faces.
We’ve kept it very simple—no meals or snacks, just hot drinks and conversation for about two hours. Most families are local, though some drive up to an hour to attend. It’s been a sweet time of fellowship and studying the Word together in the middle of the week.
Just Enough Going Out: Homeschool Co-op
Our homeschool co-op has also started, and it’s been the perfect opportunity to get out and learn together once or twice a month. It keeps us connected without overcommitting, which feels just right for this season.
Simple, Nourishing Winter Meals
We’ve been keeping meals incredibly simple but deeply nourishing. Some of our favorites lately include:
- A roast simmering in the crockpot all day, served with homemade bread and a vegetable
- Soup and bread
- Burger bowls with cauliflower rice and seasonal roasted veggies
- Our favorite Sabbath meal (you can read more about that here)
- We also enjoy trying a new recipe now and then to keep things fun.
I started making sourdough bread again, and it feels so good to serve my family in this way. There’s something special about offering warm, homemade bread—nothing quite says “I love you” like that.
Caring for Our Home at a Gentle Pace
Our home routines have been going really well. We’ve implemented a weekly family cleaning hour after dinner, usually the night before Bible study. This has taken so much pressure off me and prevents that frantic, stressful day of preparation before people arrive. It's not perfect when five children of all ages are doing the tasks - especially when some things get forgotten. But, it's released a huge burden off of me. I don't usually inspect the work and am thankful for the extra hands to keep the home running.
In fact, as I draft this post, we’re hosting Bible study tonight. Because I’ve had extra time this winter, I’ve also been deep cleaning and decluttering one room at a time. It’s not forced—just done as time allows—and it feels so refreshing to see each space renewed.
Planning Ahead Without Pressure
I’ve had space to reflect and plan for the next school year. There are areas I want to simplify, and others where I’m considering adding a bit more fun for our family. I enjoy this slow kind of planning—reflecting on what’s working and imagining what the next year could hold.
Life Indoors and Simple Joys
With so much time indoors, the kids have been painting and working on art projects, reading aloud together, giving our girls’ bedroom a small makeover, playing with Legos, and baking. These quiet, ordinary days have been full in the best way.
Lingering in Winter
This winter has taught me that contentment doesn’t come from adding more, refining more, or striving harder—but from staying present with what God has already given. We look forward to the return of spring, yet we’re choosing to linger here, enjoying the warmth of the wood-burning stove, hot coffee, freshly baked bread, and the simple household projects that call out during winter.
May we learn to receive the slowness we’re offered.
May we rest inside the goodness of enough.
May we rest inside the goodness of enough.
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