How do
we get to become perfectionists? I'm not sure. But, I know I'm guilty
of it. As a matter of fact, I know a lot of us are. It's a terrible
waste. Let me share what I've learned.
I have
learned, at least in my life, perfectionism is really just a
euphemism. When someone is a perfectionist I think what's really
going on is they're fearful of making mistakes. As I inspect my life,
and my business, I have been able to identify my perfectionist
streak. And, truth be told, what's really eating at me is a fear of
screwing up.
Can you
relate? When people are fearful our main coping mechanism is
avoidance. I once heard it said that, “Avoidance is the hallmark of
fear.” I have clearly recognized that truth when it comes to
building my business. The fact of the matter is, to build a business,
self-promotion is required.
JB Say
was a French economist in the early 19th Century. He
created what has come to be known as Say's Law. To paraphrase the
“Law” it basically says that supply creates its own demand. It's
kind of what Emerson was saying, around the same time, when he said
something to the effect of, “Build a better mousetrap, and the
world will beat a path to your door.”
Say's
Law may have been true two hundred years ago. However, today, it
certainly is no longer the case. Nowadays, if you wish to build a
thriving business, you have to let people know you exist. You have to
promote yourself.
When it
comes time to self-promote I often find myself falling into a
perfectionist trap. My mind plays tricks with me. I spend too much
time planning what I am going to say, and not enough time saying it.
Do you know what I'm talking about? It's so silly, and so funny. If I
haven't had my promoter hat on for a while, it usually takes me a day
or two to snap out of my perfectionist ruminations.
Little
reminders such as, “You can't say the right thing to the wrong
person,” do help. I have also placed little notes, around my office, to remind myself that my tendency is to try to be too perfect. Truth be told, I'm simply afraid
of making mistakes, and this holds me back.
I also
think about the fact that being perfect actually backfires. I mean,
do we really admire perfection? Or, does it tend to just piss us off? I
think it's the later. I don't think we can really relate to
perfection, so I think it's more aggravating than anything. You know
the type? The person who always acts as if they're life is flawless.
We know
we all screw up and we all makes mistakes. When someone comes across
too perfect it tends to remind us of our own warts. And, nobody likes
that. I think this perfectionism thing leads to an interesting
paradox.
I think
we should strive for perfection, all the while knowing that we will
never get there. It's a paradox because, why would we work towards
something we can never attain? Of course, the reason is because it's
the striving that matters. Perfection isn't really the goal. It's
just a way to keep striving. We'll never reach perfection so we'll
always have something to move forward towards.
Perfection
is a big, big goal. That's where it's useful. It's useful to the
extent that it staves off complacency. However, when it comes time to
do something, when it comes time to take action, an insistence on
perfection will totally backfire. That's why I recommend being
perfectly imperfect. It sure helps me.
Cheerio!
Cheerio!
