Stop Chasing Perfection — Build a Routine That Actually Feels Good
- Esme Sheppard
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
We live in a world where perfection is marketed like a daily vitamin — something we’re supposed to consume every morning with our green juice and flawlessly curated morning routine. Social media doesn't help. They fuel us to be constantly striving to reach an impossibly flawless standard of beauty, leaving us feeling we are not enough.
But, what if instead of trying to copy someone else’s routine you built one that revolves around you and your needs? No one is the same — neither is your routine. It should match your energy, your lifestyle and your sanity — not the algorithm.
The Problem with Perfection
The idea of a perfect routine sounds nice… until you try to follow one. Perfection breeds pressure, comparison, and eventually burnout. This is because everyone is so different, whether it's hair or skin type or personal taste, and trying a routine made for someone else and their expectations is bound not to work. We end up thinking if we can’t do it perfectly, it’s not worth doing it at all.
But here’s the truth: No one has a flawless routine. Life throws curveballs. Skin doesn’t glow every day. Shifting the goal from perfect to personal is when routines stop being a chore and start being a support system.
Redefining Success in Your Routine
Success isn’t how your routine looks. It’s how it feels. When you focus on feeling grounded, energized, and calm — instead of chasing appearances — routines become enjoyable again. Combining this with the focus on consistency over intensity helps self-care routines from feeling like chores and takes the pressure off.
How to Build a Routine That Works (and won’t implode in week two)
Step 1: Start Small and Realistic
Building your routine step by step ensures that you don't get overwhelmed and also makes your routine manageable. This prevents you from getting discouraged by missing steps while ensuring that your routine fits into your daily life and is beneficial for you.
Step 2: Experiment
You're never going to achieve a healthy lifestyle and fitness routine that actually feels right immediately. Be bold and try things out: you need to discover what you like and what works for you beyond make-up and skin care tutorials — it takes time, but it's okay!
Step 3: Track Feelings, Not Results
Result-based expectations, especially with skin care, fitness, and lifestyle routines, takes the joy out of them, setting you up for disappointment. Instead ask: "How do I feel? Energized? Peaceful? Proud?"
If the answer is yes, the routine is working.
Step 4: Remove the “Shoulds”
Stop saying "I should work out every day". It will remove the guilt and pressure associated with it, permitting yourself to do what actually works for you. Replacing "should" with "could" (option) and "want to" (desire) encourages you to do what actually works for you and to build your own motivation to do your routine. Try it! Notice how light that feels?
Step 5: Build in Flexibility
Rigidity is often why routines fail. Life, mood and energy changes are a part of everyday life, so they should be considered when planning and creating your routine. Flexibility isn't inconsistency — it's emotional intelligence.
Life fluctuates. Routines should too. If your energy is low, swap the gym for a walk. If you oversleep, shorten the routine instead of skipping it completely.
Step 6: Practice Self-compassion
When things go wrong and don't turn out as planned self-acceptance and self-love help you remember that building healthy habits is a journey. Missing a day or changing your planned routine does not mean you failed; it means you're human. Progress is messy. Celebrate the attempt — not the perfection.
Start Being You
The goal of your routine is not perfection, but persistence and balance. As the beauty industry starts to move away from perfection to build solutions supportive of and aligned with the lives of real women, we start to create a routine based on who we are. We make the space for simplicity — that's where magic actually happens.
Your best routine isn’t perfect.
It’s personal.
WRITTEN BY Esme Sheppard
Esme is a content creation specialist with a strong focus on the areas of beauty, fashion, and wellness. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English Language from the University of Manchester, where she developed a robust understanding of rhetorical structure and persuasive writing techniques. Esme’s mission is to create content that inspires and empowers her audience to step into their "main character energy." Combining her academic training with her passion for wellness topics, she delivers articles that are both well-researched and immediately applicable to daily life. Contact: esmesheppard6@gmail.com
DISCLAIMER
The opinions expressed in this guest post are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of EXPERT ON YOUR LIFE, LLC. Any inquiries or concerns regarding the content should be directed to the author and not to EXPERT ON YOUR LIFE, LLC.
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