Far too often I put things off because I don’t think I’m ready to do them right. I put off starting a yoga class because I wanted to work on my flexibility first at home. I put off sending my material to an agency because I wanted to have the “perfect” amount of credits and training. Turns out, I never did these things at all because I didn’t achieve my own standard of being perfect.
Research says that perfectionists view the world as “all or nothing.” This couldn’t be more true. Whenever I complain about something, I’m often caught saying the phrases “this always happens” or “this never happens.” I speak in complete definites.
The truth is that there is value in achieving even small steps toward an ultimate goal. While I may not have signed up for that yoga class yet, I did try a program on my home cable network. I accepted that what I had accomplished at this point would just have to be good enough to send to an agency and finally put the information in the mail. Taking those small steps makes me proud of my progress.
So to celebrate every little step, I began keeping a journal of all the things I’m happy for each month. For January, I listed all of the actions I took that led or will lead towards my ultimate goals. I realize it’s more important not to wait to be perfect, but to take measurable steps toward where I want to be.
2 Comments
Your recent blog was exactly what I needed to hear today. As a co-owner of a startup company in beta phase, I want everything to be perfect, but as I re-learning everyday — life, and all that is involved in that, is a constant work-in-progress. I just need to keep taking steps forward. Thanks for the inspiration!
Sincerely,
Pauline
Welcome Pauline! I am always guilty of “perfectionism” especially when it comes to business. Keep moving forward and celebrate those little successes!