Sticky perfectionism
Oh, hi friends!
Why do we want everything to be perfect before it even exists?
I was working on something this weekend and felt the familiar pressure:
This needs to be the best thing I’ve ever done!
This needs to be so polished!
This needs to impress everyone!
But I hyped myself out of the most important action: beginning.
Telling ourselves something must be really good or else is a kind of preventive perfectionism. We say, “It needs to be worthy” or “But I’m so far from the end.” We stop ourselves from starting.
Instead, what if we reframe these statements. What if we said:
I’ve created new things before, and I can again.
This doesn’t need to be perfect — it only needs to exist.
I’m doing this because I want to, not to impress someone else.
Trust that you will get it where it needs to go.
Just begin.
“Success will not attack you, you must attack it.”
The particularly aggressive and necessary fortune cookie I keep on my desk.
A Newsletter Experiment
I was so happy that Sarah found an internship last week through a post in my newsletter that I want to keep this streak alive!
So here’s a little form I’m calling “Do you know someone who…” <catchier name to come, or not>
If you’re seeking something (a collaborator, job, information, etc) fill out this form (it’s literally one question). I’m going to feature some asks in an upcoming newsletter. Hopefully we can make some good connections? It's an experiment! If it doesn't work, I'll never mention it again!
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You can also support my work by checking out my motivational journal, Do It For Yourself, designed to guide you through your creative and work projects, and my upcoming journal Do It Today, which encourages you to find time for the things that matter most to you.
Thanks, as always, for reading.
Love, Kara