Like many people, I have a perfectionist streak. On the one hand, this is helpful, because it keeps me working to make my work as good as I can possibly make it. On the other hand, it can make me crazy.

One thing I’ve learned is that I need to figure out when good enough is good enough. Some things need to be as perfect as possible, other things aren’t that important. I watched a friend alphabetize the ten spices on her spice rack. With ten spices, it just doesn’t seem worth the effort to get them perfectly organized. How hard is it to spot the jar of cinnamon, even if it’s in the wrong place?

Another thing I’ve learned is that even when a very bad, very obvious, or very avoidable mistake is made, it’s not the end of the world. I was reminded of this the other night, when my husband and I were reading in bed.

He pulled my book out of my hands to see what I was reading. It was Betty Rollin’s 1976 classic, First, You Cry. I wasn’t reading the newest edition, but an old Signet mass market paperback. In one second, he spotted a typo in the descriptive paragraph on the cover: “tradegy” instead of “tragedy.” I felt a huge rush of relief. A major typo! On the cover of a bestseller! And people aren’t still talking about it.

Have you had an experience that helped remind you that you don't have to be perfect?

The days are long, but the years are short.