Amie Garner shares how she let go of perfectionism, embraced small steps, and used interval planning to build flexible, lasting routines that work.
If you’ve ever sat down with a notebook, a pen, and a head full of ideas only to feel paralyzed by the need to get it just right, you’re not alone. Perfectionism can creep in quietly, whispering that unless you have all the pieces perfectly planned, it’s not worth starting. But as Amie Garner discovered, real progress comes when you set perfection aside and take one small step at a time.
Amie, a wife of 18 years, homeschool mom of 5 kids, and long-time member of Convivial Circle, recently shared her transformation from daydream planner to doer. Her journey highlights the freedom of letting go of perfectionism, embracing baby steps, and trusting the process of progress.
Here’s how she did it—and how you can, too.
1. Recognize Perfectionism for What It Is
Amie didn’t initially realize perfectionism was holding her back. “I thought I just wanted things done well,” she says. But over time, she realized her desire for things to be “done perfectly” was keeping her stuck. Sound familiar?
Perfectionism often disguises itself as a commitment to excellence, but instead of inspiring action, it paralyzes us. Amie described it as wanting life to be predictable: “I thought if I did everything right, things would go the way I expected.” But with five kids, shifting routines, and unpredictable schedules, life didn’t follow a formula.
Her turning point came when she accepted that plans don’t need to be perfect to work. Instead of waiting for ideal conditions, she decided to start, trusting she could adjust as she went.
2. Embrace the Power of Interval Planning
One of Amie’s biggest breakthroughs came through interval planning, a core strategy in the Simplified Organization Community Coaching program. Instead of trying to plan for the next year (or decade!), interval planning breaks goals and routines into manageable 6- to 8-week sprints.
“It gave me freedom,” Amie shares. “I didn’t have to figure out a plan for the rest of my life. I just had to try something for six weeks.”
This mindset shift allowed her to:
- Experiment without feeling locked in.
- Adapt to changing seasons (like sports schedules and growing kids).
- Push through hard moments, knowing a break was coming.
For example, during a particularly busy sports season, Amie adjusted her schedule: “This is my spring schedule. It doesn’t have to be year-round.” When March ended, she knew she could reassess for April. This flexibility allowed her to keep moving forward instead of giving up when life changed.
3. Start Small with Baby Steps
If you’re someone who loves making long, detailed lists, it can feel almost impossible to focus on just one thing. Amie admits she struggled with this, too. But the truth is, small steps are where real change begins.
She decided to pick one habit to test during an interval—washing the dishes every night at 9:00 PM. For six weeks, she focused on this single task. The result? “The next morning, my dishes were done, my counter was clean, and I didn’t feel overwhelmed anymore.”
It’s tempting to look at everything you want to improve and try to tackle it all at once. But as Amie wisely points out, that defeats the purpose. “We change one variable at a time,” she says, comparing it to a science experiment. By focusing on just one goal, you can stick with it, assess what works, and build momentum for the next step.
4. Push Through the Hard Moments
Here’s the truth about progress: it doesn’t always feel exciting. At some point, every plan will get hard. That’s when we’re tempted to abandon it, distract ourselves with a different project, or go back to daydreaming about a perfect system.
Amie learned to push through these moments. “It’s about sticking with it through the frustration and difficulty,” she explains. “When 9:15 comes and I still haven’t cleaned the kitchen, I don’t get mad. I just clean it.”
Having an interval mindset helped her push forward because she knew a break was built into the plan. This made it easier to sprint through the hard weeks, knowing rest was coming.
5. Celebrate Progress, Not Perfection
Amie’s story reminds us that life doesn’t need to be perfectly predictable to make progress. Some days, the living room might be a mess, but the dining table is clean—and that’s a win. “Most of the time, we can see progress if we stick with one thing,” she encourages.
Her advice to others struggling with perfectionism?
- Know that life isn’t predictable. You can do everything “right” and still have unexpected outcomes—and that’s okay.
- Just start. Pick one thing to focus on and give it six weeks. Push through the hard parts and assess at the end.
Progress comes after putting in the reps, which must be done by faith, not sight.
From Stuck to Steady Progress
Amie’s transformation from daydreamer to doer didn’t happen overnight. It started with a mindset shift: perfection isn’t the goal—progress is.
By embracing interval planning, starting small, and staying flexible, she found freedom from perfectionism and began to thrive in her routines.
If you feel stuck, take a page from Amie’s book: start small, trust the process, and celebrate every bit of progress along the way. Because one step at a time, you will get there.
Ready to Transform Your Routines?
If you’re tired of feeling overwhelmed and stuck, Convivial Circle and the Simplified Organization Community Coaching program can help you move forward with clarity and confidence. Learn the power of interval planning, baby steps, and mindset shifts while being supported by a community of like-minded women.
Stop waiting for perfect conditions. Join us, start small, and discover what’s possible.
Enroll in Convivial Circle today and take the first step toward progress you can feel.
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