Before we begin let me warn you that if you are a perfectionist you might not like this blog.
The reason I say so is owing to the below facts:
1. This write-up will show you the mirror and you will know what’s not right with you.
2. Perfectionists usually don’t like criticism.
You might be thinking, how can I say so with surety?
Again, it’s because of two reasons:
1. Being a coach, I have worked with individuals of various personality types & have developed a fair understanding.
2. I am myself a perfectionist, so I can vouch for the behavior stated above.
Now that you have decided to continue, take it with a pinch of salt.
Perfection is a standard alibi for procrastination. Many a time, we delay the execution in the guise of perfecting the plan. More often than not, it is an excuse for delay backed by logic.
This behavior is self-justification to get rid of the guilt feeling of delaying things. We, humans, have a tendency to act out of emotion and then justify our actions by logic.
Let’s accept the fact that perfection doesn’t exist. Anything which we do is relative and is assessed or compared with similar work for its quality.
It doesn’t matter how much time or energy we put into perfecting that masterpiece. There will always be someone who would come with the better version. Therefore, waiting for the perfect time, the perfect environment, and the ideal place is futile.
Once we have a good resource pool available at our disposal, we should get started and get going. Once we start, we get the motivation to finish off. Our mind starts looking for ways and means to do it better and faster.
Just a small caveat, whatever I stated above in no way implies or suggests to begin without a plan or preparation. A fine balance between preparation and perfection needs to be maintained. It is essential to consider the opportunity cost of time for delaying the work.
So next time when you again want to delay an important project or task, just analyze and find the actual reason. If it’s procrastination in the garb of perfection take it head-on & push through.
To quote my mentor Siddharth Rajsekhar, “Version ONE is better the Version NONE”.
Now you may ask, how to go about it ?
A valid question indeed.
It’s easy to say than to do it actually.
Getting rid of this pattern & behavior requires a massive shift in the mindset & overhauling of the belief system. Our behavior is shaped by the environment and the events happening around us. It’s not always possible to change the environment & even if do it can only prevent further damage. The stack of thoughts and beliefs which is already accumulated in the head will continue to play games and resist any change.
The only solution out is to work on self & change the way our mind is coded. We can’t expect things to change unless we change. Change in output requires a change in the input & the processing unit. In this case, input is the thoughts, the processing unit is our mind & the outcome is the behavior.
Working on the mind(Processing Unit) helps in attracting the right thoughts(Input) which generates the right behavior(Output).
As Tony Robbins says, behavior is everything. Once we are able to fine-tune it in sync with the desired outcome, MAGIC follows.
As stated earlier, I am a perfectionist and I faced this problem big time. I must give credit to my mentors & coaches who showed me the reality & helped me transform.
The first step to any change is acknowledging the problem. There is no point being a pigeon, who buries the head in the sand and assumes the cat won’t see him. We all know it’s not going to happen.
The second step is to seek help from the experts. When you fall sick, you might try to do self-treatment for a day to two but beyond that, you visit the doctor. Right ? Else, the disease may spread. Similarly, to work on your behavior, personality & mindset take the help of a coach. Someone who can help you get rid of the unwanted stuff you are carrying in your head and rewire the brain. Trying to work on your own for long will only let the disease spread.
Why shy away from taking help?
At the end of the day, it’s your life.
The choices you make will decide the quality of your life.
Make your choices considering, “Who you want to be & not who you already are.”
Cheers!
Lalit Hundalani
Leading Life Transformation Coach||2X Best-Selling Author||Mentor
PS: If you are feeling stuck & need help to work on yourself, it would be good to connect before it’s too late. You can click the link below to avail a FREE session.