So, I was thinking about how to begin this post, and I thought, "I don't know how to start it, so I'll just wait until I have a better beginning."
Ironically, this post is about perfectionism and procrastination.
So, I'll start there. I'll begin with the truth. Even though I am a therapist (and, therefore, in my mind, should know better), the truth is, I still struggle with perfectionism and procrastination. I really want these posts to be new, memorable and meaningful. I want them to be useful to you, and, dare I say, it, Creative. I want them to be user-friendly.
And, yet, I also want them to live up to the standard I have in my head of all the great posts out there: you know the ones; they're either funny or poignant or both. They say something old in a new way, like a comedian, or they say something totally profoundly interesting that we've never thought of, which gets our dopamine activated! In fact, it's our search for something new that increases dopamine not just the thing itself! This is the dopamine feedback loop: search for information --> dopamine --> increased motivation --> search for more info --> dopamine. YAY!
It feels good.
Which is why we search for information.
Which is why I want this post to be useful and not boring or cliched. For most of us, just the act of putting something out there to the world is an act of bravery.
And, it's exactly this striving for perfection (whatever that is) + judgement/comparison = procrastination. We stop. We get in our own way.
Sometimes this happens when we start and realize we don't know where we're heading. As Peter Bregman in his post on the Harvard Business Review Blog notes,(http://blogs.hbr.org/bregman/2012/06/the-emotional-adventure-of-lea.html) sometimes you have to get lost to be found. And, when you admit it, it makes you a stronger leader.Cool. I can feed that to my inner critic!
He writes, "It takes tremendous confidence to lead. Not the confidence of having all
the answers — that's arrogance — but the confidence to move forward
even without the answers. You have to be capable of feeling awkward and
uncertain without giving up."
What have you given up that you want to re-start?
For me, it's this post that I began last week. Yup, it's true.
So, I'm writing this post today and dedicating it to all you perfectionists out there! I'm not putting it off for another day! Whatever you're wanting to do, whether it be small or large, break it down into small steps. Tell yourself it's better to do it, to start it today, right now in fact, than to leave it unfinished or never started.That's the power of a leader.
As one of my favorite Martha Graham quotes goes, "There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is
translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you
in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will
never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world
will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is
nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your
business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel
open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have
to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep
the channel open. ..."
Why the hell not?!
Keywords: procrastination, perfectionism, motivation, creativity, leadership, psychology, psychotherapy, coaching, wellness, confidence, self-esteem, inspiration, Peter Bregman.
http://www.heatherschwartzpsyd.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/DrHeatherS
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/heather-schwartz-psy-d/a/973/6b
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