I am Leo to the bone, a fact that my dear friend Anne never lets me forget. She lovingly teases me when I exhibit Leo-tastic™ traits, and while sometimes I get exasperated, the truth is, she isn’t wrong. While I unabashedly revel in these traits, sometimes they can be a drawback.
One such trait is my struggle with perfection. I need to do things perfect. I would much rather leave something undone than to put out anything that is less than perfect. As you can imagine, this is a double-edged sword. There are times that perfection is not only desirable but necessary. Without a doubt it is reasonable to expect perfection from airline pilots, brain surgeons, and architects. As an NICU nurse I want to do things perfectly at work (and as a patient, or rather the parent of a patient, you would expect no less of me.)
So, when does perfection fall on the other side of the sword? Well when it comes to things like writing. I want the PERFECT words to flow from my brain, spill out my fingertips onto the page in the most beautiful, coherent, moving, PERFECT sentences ever written. Yeah, I’ll wait while you laugh.
Did you get that out of your systems?
No, not yet?
Okay take a few seconds more.
Feel better? Okay times up, let’s move on.
As writers we all know that this is just not how it works. Oh how great and glorious it would be for us if it did, but it doesn’t. AND, this struggle for perfection is a major roadblock to productivity. I’ve been working on the same project for several years now and I have ten, count ‘em, ten pages written. Well I have ten pages remaining, that I haven’t personally sabotaged that is.
I have written pages and pages on this project and erased them all because they weren’t, you know, PERFECT. At this rate it’s going to be another 30 years or so before I complete anything. So while getting it perfect might seem like a good thing, getting it written is an even better thing. My focus needs to be on the WRITING, getting my story on the page. Then I can worry about polishing it, which is what editing is for after all. Of course I have been working on this post for what seems like years in an effort to make it perfect, so I obviously need to work on redirecting my energies.
(While working on this post I received this tweet from Billy Ray Cyrus: “Striving for perfection is the greatest stopper there is. You’ll be afraid you can’t achieve it. Instead strive for excellence.” How’s that for serendipity?)
My challenge to myself is to let go of perfection, strive for excellence and above all get it written. As of today my new mantra is “Just Get It Written, You Can Make It Pretty Later.” If struggling for perfection is holding you back I invite you to join me.
Tish
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