Progress over Perfection: The Mindset for a Life Committed to Purpose.
In the past, I ruled my life by perfection or nothing at all. If every “i” wasn’t dotted and every “t” crossed, I held back. I thought, the world only responded to perfection. Well, under the rule of that mindset I lived on the side of nothing at all. Waiting for the “perfect moment” has resulted in lost moments. It has kept me stagnant when life is about movement, life is motion. At this point in my life, I am finishing up my Masters in Positive Psychology (Coaching), seeing Chiropractic patients, building a coaching business, leading a business networking group, planning our 10-year high school reunion, serving as the Executive Director to a nonprofit organization, and now I’ve lost count. There is no need to go on, because those things don’t even include who I truly am and what I make time for when I am not “doing.” It doesn’t include the time it takes for self-care, cooking, spending time with family and friends, and so forth. If I’m not careful, if you aren’t careful, all those things can become an excuse to do nothing all.
I have come to accept that life is messy and it’s moving fast. In the world we live in today, do you foresee it slowing down and becoming “basic”? Likely, you’d agree that we are far beyond that point. To move us forward, we must turn to the one thing we do have supreme control over: our mindset, our perspective. I adopted the “progress over perfection” approach this year and it has changed my life in substantial ways.
Here are 3 anchors to support the progress over perfection mindset.
1) Be Inspired by Commitment.
If you’ve done the deep work to know where your focus should be in this season of your life, then, above all, stay committed. Otherwise, when fear rises or your ego begins telling you all the reasons you should NOT do something, you will listen. You will say, “maybe tomorrow I’ll do it.” Or, “if this was this way then maybe I’d do it.” “I’m not getting the response I thought I would, maybe this is a bad idea.” Essentially, you excuse your way out of pivotal moments. You turn back when life is calling you forward. Realize that “perfect moments” are created by your courage and commitment to every moment. There is no creation without the action you exercise to manifest them.
2) Creativity is our Fuel.
Keeping in mind that you are reaching for progress, grounds you in creativity. It keeps you APPROACHING that which you desire versus AVOIDING. When you are ruled by perfection, you are more likely to AVOID situations in the face of your commitments. Again, this keeps you stagnant. Eventually, progress over perfection will inspire you to see that everything is feedback, there really is no such thing as failure.
3) Deepen your Purpose Through Clarity.
It never fails. When I override my fear and stay committed to that which I know in my heart and spirit I must do, there is an overwhelming amount of fulfillment on the other side. You learn to feed off the energy of doing in the face of fear because you know that on the other side of resistance is where you will find your authentic power. On the other side is going to be the necessary information you need to guide you closer to purpose, to give you the clarity you need to take the next step.
So, whether you are building your business, leading a team, parenting your kids, or simply want to ask that guy or girl on a date, do it. Do it because your spirit is leading you. Do it because you no longer want to be constrained by your ego, which is most often inspired by fear. Do it because on the other side is where you will find the clarity and purpose you are longing for inside. Overtime, you will notice this approach to life keeps you creative and builds your momentum as you move towards purpose.