Most of us strive for excellence, even perfection for the things that we find most important in our lives. We might want to be great in our school work or maybe we need to move up at a job. Sometimes we want to amazing at working at ourselves.
Personally, I have always wanted to sew clothes “perfectly”, where it looks like it comes from a factory. I was sure for many years that no one would ever want to buy my clothes if my work wasn’t anything less than perfect.
It must have been nearly ten years that I talked myself out of working harder to make and sell my designs. My logic was that it wasn’t perfect yet, so since no one will want it in that case, I don’t need to work on it. I figured I don’t need to push myself until my work is” amazing”. Sadly, I did bother to work on my craft.
It’s one of those vicious self-fulfilling prophecy cycles I’m always talking about. I gave myself an ”awesome” reason why this procrastination was okay. Then when I saw no yield from my lack of work I told myself this is why I shouldn’t worry about trying in the first place.
It was only recently I learned that these type of excuses are a form of procrastinating. Even when the excuse is partially valid, it will continue to set you back until you fight your way out of the situation. Or at least work around the problem.
Before someone jumps down my throat and says I’m being inconsiderate let me break it down.
Now, there really wasn’t anything wrong with my sewing projects, but there are a few key points on how I enabled my procrastination.
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Negative self-talk that no one will want it.
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Not true people aren’t always worried about their items being completely perfect.
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My work wasn’t terrible I just knew it could be better. My work was still well made and War nicely.
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I didn’t do anything to make myself better at sewing. Because sewing school fell through for me and I didn’t see a way out, I didn’t even bother to use my resources.
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I didn’t search out a way to make myself better like finding classes to take other places, videos on sewing techniques, nor did I practice what I did know to figure out how to fix my mistakes.
Just like most people I’ve had the “I don’t have time” excuse. It was rarely true. I didn’t make the time to learn more and make myself better.
I know too many people that make the excuse of they need to wait until they have everything in order before they can even begin. That’s not the best thing I’m trying 2 work toward a goal nothing will ever be perfect everything will never be completely an order you just have to know to start and grow as you go.
I still strive for excellence in all that I do, but I don’t stress over it being all or nothing until it is “perfect”. I just do my very best and start with what I have now and build from there. I’ve learned in this digital age to use my resources properly.
I have built many things from the ground zero on my new outlook. Such as my YouTube channel, my podcast, and now this blog. Now, I have asked for advice and more times than not people look at my work in amazement. and it still strikes me because my work is still not perfect.
If I would have waited until I was ready and things were perfect, I would not have accomplished anything by now.
Do you use the “Things are not perfect yet” procrastination excuse?