Not every morning is that perfect—folded linens, pillows fluffed up, and laundry hung up for air drying in the sunshine kind of morning. Rather, most of the time, it is dirty laundry on your bathroom floor, a twisted blanket, and pillows scattered on the bed.

I have always been peculiar about my morning routine and daily chores. Still, since my baby turned one, I sometimes intentionally let him sleep through his leaked diaper because I know that I can wash my sheets and blanket first thing in the morning, but he won’t get his sweet sleep back. No matter how bothersome those tiny clothes peeping through my laundry basket are, I sometimes let them sit overnight. I might not cook anything at all if I don’t feel like doing anything or stand in the kitchen the entire day on my productive day, and trust me, both of these days are equally important to keep my sanity intact.

These little things make us realize that it’s okay to be imperfect. Life is a perfect balance between perfection and imperfections, and if any of them exceeds a specific limit, the quality of our lives is affected.

This is a reminder that it’s okay to take a break and slow down to one thing at a time. You might conquer the world one day and hibernate like a turtle for the next whole week, and that is perfectly fine.

I used to blog daily before my marriage, no matter if I had an exam the other day. I always had my posts scheduled and featured images ready. My husband sometimes complains about how I gave up on writing, which aches my heart. However, I am taking my time, soaking up the challenges of early motherhood for now, as conquering the world can wait.

Sometimes, the moon and a purring cat on the window sill are all that you have to get through the dark, creeping night. Sometimes, the only blanket that can comfort you on a stormy night is your bare skin. We don’t always get a shoulder to cry on or an individual to lean on, so what’s the rush? It’s just you and yourself by your side, so just slow down and take a deep breath! Take your time and do what works best for you.

There’s no harm in doing what you love before embarking on what actually needs to be done. You can always take time for yourself, no matter how hard your life is treating you.

We need to normalize taking a break because we live in a world where hustle is glamorized to the extent that not doing anything makes you feel like a guilty culprit.

Today, when I started writing this blog, I also turned on a time-lapse recording, and when I watched it later, it just recorded an empty couch with my laptop and occasional flashes of me. Do you know why? I barely made it to two lines when my baby barged into the room to get his diaper changed. I realized the towel was too damp, so I had to get a fresh one from the store. Meanwhile, the washing machine dinged, and I went out to hang the clothes. On my way back, I kneaded the pizza dough for tonight, played with my baby because he was being clingy, and after five hours of wondering if I’d be able to complete writing this or shut my laptop down after saving this as a draft, like always, I finally made it!

Yay for this slow but steady achievement!