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« Previous Entries Next Entries »The Curse of Perfectionism
Wednesday, August 29th, 2007
Perfectionism is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can push you to strive for higher standards of achievement. On the other hand, you can get stuck if you insist to make everything perfect before you produce a piece of work. Worse, if you think that you have to be perfect before you try anything, you will never get around to doing it.
I remember, in biology class some years ago, the teacher instructed us to sketch a certain specimen. Many of my classmates were already starting to draw, but I was still staring at the specimen thinking how I should draw my first stroke. After a while, my friend sitting next to me decided to help me out and started drawing on my piece of paper. She told me to stop musing and just get started. It didn’t have to be perfect, just get it going. Just do it.
I realise that I suffer from the curse of perfectionism. Maybe that’s why I’m a “late developer” in some aspects of my life. Sometimes I try to remind myself about this, but most of the time the perfectionism in me raises its ugly head and hides behind the guises of “high standards” and “I’m not doing it until I’m sure I can do it very very well”.
It’s not wrong to expect high standards for myself and the work I produce. However if it starts to affect the momentum and get you stuck, then it’s truly a curse. Sometimes it may even result in “brainfreeze” where you get stuck on a certain point and you just can’t break through. Much like a dog tied to a pole trying to free itself by running in circles.
Perfectionism can also affect your self-esteem because you are always comparing yourself to the high standard which you set for yourself. When you are learning a new skill, it’s not possible to be perfect during the initial stage of learning. So if you keep comparing your performance with the perfect score you imagine for yourself, you are going to get demotivated very quickly. And that’s not going to help you in learning the skill.
You don’t have to get it right. You just have to get it going.
Do yourself a favor. Don’t judge yourself the first 20 times you try to execute a new skill.
And as we progress along the learning curve, it’ll be worthwhile to remember the 80/20 rule and the law of diminishing returns as you try to perfect your work.
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S.H.E Ella MV
Saturday, August 25th, 2007
Nice song by Ella written for her dog Qiang Qiang which passed away 2 months ago. Very touching…. Ella is a kind-hearted and talented girl with a big heart.
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How To Get A Breakthrough And End Procrastination ?
Friday, August 10th, 2007
How often do we catch ourselves saying “Wait…”, “Not today”, “Maybe tomorrow” to the things which we know we should be doing ?
Procrastination is a time thief - it steals from us our most precious resource, time. The longer we delay doing the things which will benefit us, the further we push back the success which we desire.
So how do we get out of our comfort zone, get a breakthrough and end procrastination ? What we need is an inspiration to action, and then carrying it through with action.
Asking ourselves the two questions below can help us gain much inspiration to action, produce a much needed mental push and a change of perspective. However, inspiration remains a thought until it is acted upon by doing it right away. Acting on it and keeping up the sustained effort will build a habit.
Keep focused on the reward, not the process.
1. What is the one thing I don’t want to do today, but if I did it, will change my life and/or business ?
2. How will I benefit from doing the thing which I don’t want to do, but if I did, will change my life and/or business ?
3. Do it now. If logistically impossible to do it now, schedule in writing a time to do it.
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How To Stop Looking Behind Your Back…
Thursday, August 9th, 2007
… And Quit Worrying About What Other People Are Thinking Of You ?
The 18/40/60 Rule is a handy one to remember :
When you are 18, you worry about what everybody is thinking of you.
When you are 40, you don’t give a darn what anybody thinks of you.
When you are 60, you realise that nobody’s been thinking about you at all.
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Exponential Growth of Money and Success
Friday, August 3rd, 2007This is quite an interesting article - Exponential Growth of Money and Success
Focus, Consistency and Patience - formula for persisting with your chosen path, and not to give up and change paths quickly whenever you hit a bump. Be focused on the big picture and your goal. Consistently do the things which you have to do to get to your destination. Have patience to go through the process. People usually give up too soon before they allow their efforts to transform into results.
Then again, be wary of the danger of target fixation. We have to be flexible and adjust our tactics as we navigate the terrain. If it is obviously a dead-end, then it is wiser to drop that approach and look for a way around the obstacle. Know when to quit and what to quit. The important thing is to maintain the momentum and keep moving forward in the direction towards your destination.
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