The Art of Indian Cooking & the Sanity of "Good Enough"

“There is an art in cooking.” said my Indian husband.

“First you need to heat the pan, then you heat the oil. Then add the mustard and cumin seeds and cook them. Then you add the dry spices, thennn you add the chopped onions, let it cook for a bit, then the garlic, ginger, and chillies. Cover the pot and let them cook for a while… then add the tomatoes. Cover the pot again. Simmer. And only thennnnnnnn do you add the main ingredient (ie the chicken, meat, fish, eggs, beans, whatever).

I’m literally rolling my eyes at this stage because our kids will be coming home in 20 minutes and would be happy with chicken nuggets and chips smothered in ketchup and he’s cooking for the royal family.

“But it won’t be perfect and taste the way it’s supposed to taste.” said my Indian artistic cook.

“And you think the kids will even notice or even care?!?” asked moi.

Do you know what's more perfect than perfect? 

Done!

Good enough and then moving on.

Perfectionism is one of the ways anxiety can show up and can take a huge toll on your mental, emotional, and physical health. Your mental health is sooooo much more important than driving yourself crazy to make sure your crawling baby is always in clean clothes, or that your home looks like a museum while your kids are growing up and use it as a dumping ground for their crap. Your guests will never notice (or most likely even care) that you didn’t put enough coriander/parsley/ chopped tomatoes/whatever or that you cooked the meat for only 3 hours 

instead of overnight. 

So, instead of exhausting yourself trying to meet impossible standards, cut yourself some slack and focus on what truly matters. 

Prioritise Mental Health By  Embracing "Good Enough"

The idea of getting things "done good enough" is a powerful way to combat perfectionism. You don't need to make everything flawless for it to be valuable or successful. Perfectionism can be mentally, emotionally and even physically draining and can take a serious toll on your stress levels. Instead of putting your energy into obsessing over every detail, use it to focus on the things in your life that really matter. Making the conscious choice to step back, reassess, and choose balance over idealism will help to reduce the anxiety that perfectionism causes. 

Let Go of External Expectations

Often, perfectionism stems from being a people pleaser and the desire to meet the expectations of others (or ourselves). By focusing on what's meaningful to you rather than striving for unattainable standards just to please others, you will feel huge pressure off your shoulders.

Accept Your Limitations

Acknowledge that no one can do everything perfectly. Being human means we have limitations. By accepting them, you free yourself from unnecessary guilt or frustration about not being "perfect."

There is no such thing as ‘perfectionism’. There will always be someone who can do it better than you and everything can be improved somehow. Accept your limitations, it’s part of being human. Just do your best, and then just move on.