I’m hilariously bad at drawing. So much so that I had to consult YouTube for tips before producing the ‘masterpiece’ below. And I’m actually pretty proud to share it.
Not because I think it’s any good (though it’s definitely one of my better efforts), but because I think it’s good enough. Which is quite something for a recovering perfectionist.
It took me a long time to realise what perfectionism really cost.
It wasn’t ‘just’ that:
👎 I was super-critical of myself
👎 I over-worked and missed out on other stuff
👎 I found it hard to delegate as I couldn’t trust others to ‘do it right’
For me perfectionism is the opposite of freedom. It’s a straitjacket, a killer of creativity, experimentation and playfulness.
My tip for perfectionists is to redefine what doing a perfect job means. Strive to be perfect at doing just the right amount. Not so little that you underperform (hell no!). Nor so much that you always over-deliver. Trust that whatever ‘good enough’ means in the circumstances really is good enough.
Try letting go. It will free you and make life richer and more fun 🚀