Comments on: Perfectly Imperfect http://semicharmedwife.com/2008/03/04/perfectly-imperfect/ Helping you find your purpose and navigate your quarter-life crisis in style Mon, 15 Mar 2010 10:53:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Don’t Put Off Until Tomorrow… | Semi-Charmed Wife http://semicharmedwife.com/2008/03/04/perfectly-imperfect/#comment-469 Don’t Put Off Until Tomorrow… | Semi-Charmed Wife Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:16:28 +0000 http://semicharmedwife.com/2008/03/04/perfectly-imperfect/#comment-469 [...] Perfectionism. My old archenemy. This is especially bad with my writing. I’ll fuss over one sentence for HOURS, putting off making any real progress with the project I’m working on. Why? Because it’s not perfect yet. Obviously, this completely undermines my goal of moving forward. What can I do about it? Give myself permission to be less than perfect. Refuse to edit my work until I hit a predetermined milestone (e.g., 30 pages). Make a conscious effort to let go. [...] […] Perfectionism. My old archenemy. This is especially bad with my writing. I’ll fuss over one sentence for HOURS, putting off making any real progress with the project I’m working on. Why? Because it’s not perfect yet. Obviously, this completely undermines my goal of moving forward. What can I do about it? Give myself permission to be less than perfect. Refuse to edit my work until I hit a predetermined milestone (e.g., 30 pages). Make a conscious effort to let go. […]

]]> By: kirsten http://semicharmedwife.com/2008/03/04/perfectly-imperfect/#comment-193 kirsten Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:55:18 +0000 http://semicharmedwife.com/2008/03/04/perfectly-imperfect/#comment-193 Terrific advice! Terrific advice!

]]> By: Personal Development Carnival: Issue 33 | The Next 45 Years http://semicharmedwife.com/2008/03/04/perfectly-imperfect/#comment-187 Personal Development Carnival: Issue 33 | The Next 45 Years Sun, 09 Mar 2008 13:19:47 +0000 http://semicharmedwife.com/2008/03/04/perfectly-imperfect/#comment-187 [...] Perfectly Imperfect by Jen Schiller [...] […] Perfectly Imperfect by Jen Schiller […]

]]> By: Carnival of Healing #128 - Found in Blog Reviews and Carnivals http://semicharmedwife.com/2008/03/04/perfectly-imperfect/#comment-164 Carnival of Healing #128 - Found in Blog Reviews and Carnivals Sat, 08 Mar 2008 18:04:52 +0000 http://semicharmedwife.com/2008/03/04/perfectly-imperfect/#comment-164 [...] achieving my dreams more than any of my other myriad flaws and challeneges" in a post titled Perfectly Imperfect.  I think many of us have experienced this to one degree or another, the Semi-Charmed Wife [...] […] achieving my dreams more than any of my other myriad flaws and challeneges" in a post titled Perfectly Imperfect.  I think many of us have experienced this to one degree or another, the Semi-Charmed Wife […]

]]> By: Sister Sassy http://semicharmedwife.com/2008/03/04/perfectly-imperfect/#comment-143 Sister Sassy Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:16:13 +0000 http://semicharmedwife.com/2008/03/04/perfectly-imperfect/#comment-143 Oh my, I'm a perfectionist is some ways but I posted a partially edited piece in order to have content soooo... lol with me and with many perfectionists come procrastination, don't you think? Good post! Oh my, I’m a perfectionist is some ways but I posted a partially edited piece in order to have content soooo… lol

with me and with many perfectionists come procrastination, don’t you think?

Good post!

]]> By: Zandria http://semicharmedwife.com/2008/03/04/perfectly-imperfect/#comment-142 Zandria Wed, 05 Mar 2008 03:05:37 +0000 http://semicharmedwife.com/2008/03/04/perfectly-imperfect/#comment-142 That's so cool! Janet is a very sweet lady. Even though I knew you lived locally, it's still funny to hear that you and Janet only live a few blocks from each other! :) That’s so cool! Janet is a very sweet lady. Even though I knew you lived locally, it’s still funny to hear that you and Janet only live a few blocks from each other! :)

]]> By: verybadcat http://semicharmedwife.com/2008/03/04/perfectly-imperfect/#comment-136 verybadcat Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:32:18 +0000 http://semicharmedwife.com/2008/03/04/perfectly-imperfect/#comment-136 I'm a recovering perfectionist. Part of the problem is that I had the luxury in my youth of not doing anything I couldn't be perfect at. Even my harder classes (science), I just gave up from day one and admitted defeat, and therefore failed (or barely passed) by the skin of my teeth. If I couldn't be GREAT at something, I didn't even try. This job put me in over my head. I was forced to do things everyday that I couldn't be perfect at. I was forced to produce work on a time line that didn't accommodate obsessive double checking. It was petrifying, and I spent a good year and a half either having a panic attack or recovering from one. One day, I looked around me and I realized..... I screw up all the time. I also do great things. People still love me when I screw up. Even people like bosses, who shouldn't really love you when you screw up. It still gives me the heebie jeebies, and I still punish myself, but at least I'm not afraid to screw things up anymore. I’m a recovering perfectionist. Part of the problem is that I had the luxury in my youth of not doing anything I couldn’t be perfect at. Even my harder classes (science), I just gave up from day one and admitted defeat, and therefore failed (or barely passed) by the skin of my teeth. If I couldn’t be GREAT at something, I didn’t even try.

This job put me in over my head. I was forced to do things everyday that I couldn’t be perfect at. I was forced to produce work on a time line that didn’t accommodate obsessive double checking. It was petrifying, and I spent a good year and a half either having a panic attack or recovering from one. One day, I looked around me and I realized…..

I screw up all the time. I also do great things. People still love me when I screw up. Even people like bosses, who shouldn’t really love you when you screw up.

It still gives me the heebie jeebies, and I still punish myself, but at least I’m not afraid to screw things up anymore.

]]> By: Leah http://semicharmedwife.com/2008/03/04/perfectly-imperfect/#comment-135 Leah Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:27:35 +0000 http://semicharmedwife.com/2008/03/04/perfectly-imperfect/#comment-135 Great post! I heard someone say, "If it's done, it's perfect." This was in reference to a scrapbooking project, and stopping a friend from obsessing over her work and trying to tweak everything over and over again. I'm not much of a perfectionist. I wouldn't send out a professional letter at work with grammatical mistakes, but I forget to proofread sometimes, too. I think college helped. As an English major, I was producing 10-15 page research papers on a regular basis. I also worked a full time job through college. I simply did not have the time or energy to re-read every paper 10 times. I have a general confidence that my first thought is probably my best, I review for inconsistencies to my thesis, make sure everything flows, and stamp it good. I graduated with over a 3.7 in my major, so I'm thinking I was doing okay that way. I tend lately to write and go. I guess I really am just happy with my original thoughts. I guess I'm a lucky one! Or else I'm just extremely lazy, which is probably part true. Your suggestions are all perfect! I recently dealt with this same issue with a client, and it was very powerful for her to deal with allowing mistakes to happen without trashing the whole goal. Also, link it back to your purpose. If you throw away all 20 pages you wrote last week, how are you serving your purpose? If you don't try to wake up on time again tomorrow, how are you serving your purpose? The failure is not in the mistake or slip up, it's in not committing back to your purpose to get it right next time. Great post! I heard someone say, “If it’s done, it’s perfect.” This was in reference to a scrapbooking project, and stopping a friend from obsessing over her work and trying to tweak everything over and over again.

I’m not much of a perfectionist. I wouldn’t send out a professional letter at work with grammatical mistakes, but I forget to proofread sometimes, too.

I think college helped. As an English major, I was producing 10-15 page research papers on a regular basis. I also worked a full time job through college. I simply did not have the time or energy to re-read every paper 10 times. I have a general confidence that my first thought is probably my best, I review for inconsistencies to my thesis, make sure everything flows, and stamp it good. I graduated with over a 3.7 in my major, so I’m thinking I was doing okay that way.

I tend lately to write and go. I guess I really am just happy with my original thoughts. I guess I’m a lucky one! Or else I’m just extremely lazy, which is probably part true.

Your suggestions are all perfect! I recently dealt with this same issue with a client, and it was very powerful for her to deal with allowing mistakes to happen without trashing the whole goal.

Also, link it back to your purpose. If you throw away all 20 pages you wrote last week, how are you serving your purpose? If you don’t try to wake up on time again tomorrow, how are you serving your purpose? The failure is not in the mistake or slip up, it’s in not committing back to your purpose to get it right next time.

]]> By: janet http://semicharmedwife.com/2008/03/04/perfectly-imperfect/#comment-134 janet Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:26:29 +0000 http://semicharmedwife.com/2008/03/04/perfectly-imperfect/#comment-134 great post -- I can relate to those feelings of giving up if it's not perfect. And I loved our walk yesterday and hope we do it again soon! I even had plenty of energy when I got home for a whole hour plus of house stuff. Just think, if I hadn't started reading your blog I probably would have sat on my butt for 2 hrs last night instead of walking and cleaning :) great post — I can relate to those feelings of giving up if it’s not perfect.

And I loved our walk yesterday and hope we do it again soon! I even had plenty of energy when I got home for a whole hour plus of house stuff. Just think, if I hadn’t started reading your blog I probably would have sat on my butt for 2 hrs last night instead of walking and cleaning :)

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