Book Summary for DO IT TODAY by DARIUS FOROUX
Chapter 12 – How Perfectionism is destroying your productivity
Do you also tell yourself you are not a perfectionist? Do you really believed you are not one? In this chapter, the author had tagged perfectionist as a masked procastinator. Why?
🛑 A perfectionist…
1. Always waits for the right moment.
2. Never makes mistakes.
3. Always needs more time.
Anyone that does any or all of the above will definitely procastinate a lot to accommodate that, don’t you think?
🛑 Perfectionism is another form of procastination because while you wait for the perfect time to act, life and success is about outcomes. In life, result matters and while you are being a perfectionist, do you know how long it will take you to get the result or even the cost you pay for being a perfectionist?
🛑 You often say to yourself, I don’t want to make mistake or what if I am rejected?
How about this;
You doing that thing regardless of your mistakes. Going for that thing even when you don’t know if you would be rejected or not?
The difference between this is, in the first one you keep posting until you don’t do it or miss opportunity. While the second one have you corrected when you make mistake and even when you are rejected you get to meet another chance.
The author mentioned in this chapter that there are two types of perfectionists:
🛑1. The one that never starts. You want to achieve something, but
you immediately start doubting yourself. You think: “I don’t
think I can do it.” So you never start.
🛑2. The one that starts but has too high standards. You set a goal.
You work hard (maybe too hard). But you’ve set your goals so
high, that you’re always failing yourself.
🛑 Though, perfectionism is relatively not bad as research has suggested it to help achieved better yet every good thing when done in the extreme manner has its side effects.
So, to neither be a slacker or a perfectionist, you need to find a balance between the two. The author mentioned that the connection between these two is;
🛑 Learned resourcefulness: from an article by Michael
Rosenbaum:
“Learned resourcefulness refers to the behavioral repertoire necessary for
both regressive self-control and reformative self-control. This repertoire
includes self-regulating one’s emotional and cognitive responses during stressful situations, using problem-solving skills, and delaying immediate
gratification for the sake of more meaningful rewards in the future.”
Learned resourcefulness is the skill that you need to stop sabotaging
yourself.
Finding a balance.
🛑Resourcefulness — Goals can work well, but they can also be
counterproductive. That’s why you want to rely on systems. And
when shit hits the fan; use your problem-solving skills to figure
things out.
To me, that’s the sweet spot: Instead of beating yourself up when you make
a mistake or if you fail yourself, you just adjust or solve the problem.
Avoid the perfectionist’s favorite sentence: “OMG, this is the
worst thing ever!”
Also avoid the slacker’s favorite sentence: “I don’t care.”
But instead, you say: “I’ve got this.”
So what’s your current challenge? Actually, I don’t even have to ask:
You’ve got this.
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