How many times have you procrastinated starting something because you already anticipated it wouldn’t be perfect? It's a pretty wild power move by our brains, but they are so determined to avoid expending energy that they use this ploy against us.
Let's take the example, “I want to practice yoga again”. Our scoundrel brains don’t want to practice yoga again, so they will tell you that in order to do this, you have to do it perfectly. They are, quite obviously, lying.
The best way to rebut this thinking is to intentionally begin in a way that isn’t perfect. For example, “I’m going to start my yoga practice randomly on a Thursday, I don’t have the perfect yoga mat, I don’t have the ideal clothes, and it will only be for 10 minutes.”
Stunning.
Don’t let your brain use perfectionism as an excuse for inaction. You can’t ever do something perfectly unless you’re a robot, and as this is 2022 not 3022, I can say with confidence that you are not one.
Each month, horrify your brain by outlining all the ways that something you are starting won’t be perfect. You can commit this act of savagery in a journal, on your phone, on a napkin at the bar during Friday afternoon drinks... (Do people outside of a very specific part of Manhattan actually go to bars for Friday afternoon drinks and write notes to themselves on napkins? I just don't see that for us.)
EDEN PLANNER USERS: Your monthly blank note taking pages are the perfect spot for this.
If there's something you're currently perfection-procrastinating, take some time to do this exercise now.
I'm sorry to say this, but it doesn’t necessarily stop once we’ve started something. If we fall behind, or skip a day, or don’t meet our weekly target - our brains chime in again to say “well you may as well give up now”.
Don’t let this voice win. Remind yourself that it’s all about progress, not perfection, and keep on taking those delightful baby steps in the right direction.
