Love the idea of a hardworking visionary. I think I'm hardworking 'pretty good enough' kind of person and need to cultivate my inner perfectionist a bit more. :-)
The Amish knitters, weavers, basket makers, always make at least 1 mistake in their work, because they believe only God is perfect. Truly, this has never been a problem for me, a knitter, cuz there are always tons of mistakes in my work. But it's always 'pretty good enough.' Enjoy your perfect day - because they all are!
I mean, what even is "perfect"? Do we even know? I've heard that before about deliberately putting in mistakes (although I think I heard it about Afghan rug makers?) and I do like that -- it goes along with embracing failures and accepting that nothing will ever be perfectly done.
Thanks for this Julie. I find perfectionism fascinating as it’s something I struggle with myself and also come from a long line of perfectionists. My observation has been that it can make you very unlikable, which is ok, SOMETIMES. Discerning the time to let it do it’s thing and the time to suppress it is key, I think. For me, the curse of perfectionism is always seeing the one negative thing in any room you walk into, which is usually not useful, but sometimes is, I guess, if you are trying to make that room as beautiful as possible. 🙃
Maybe the one negative thing is, in fact, what makes the room perfect. Or at least that was my first thought. Though this is coming from me, someone who no one would ever, ever call a perfectionist when it comes to my home decorating and housekeeping.
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said "high standard-ist" which yes, needs a better word, but it's definitely how I identify when it comes to creating and chasing "perfection." I put that in quotes because I understand that perfect doesn't exist, but I also know what I'm capable of. If my work isn't up to my own personal standards, I can't let it go. If I know I can do better, or if it doesn't yet meet the vision I had in my head (ha! "visionary"), I have a really hard time not going back to the drawing board.
I've found that usually I end work on something until I'm proud of it. Once I'm proud of it, it has almost always met my high standards. Maybe I'm a "pride perfectionist"...?
Thanks. I just started listening to The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (famous music producer) after watching a segment on him on 60 Minutes. Interesting, definitely Big Magic stuff, however highly repetitive. But I'm only 11% in hoping there are more tangible takeaways.
I feel like perfectionism is seen as the negative extreme of self-improvement. Like, what happens when you expect MORE than yourself to meet your highest visionary standards (like other people to do so, too), or when your visionary standards cause you to shut down (i.e., procrastinate, or give up) vs. feel energized and suitably challenged.
It's funny, but because I went to business school, the word perfection--isn't a thing there? I mean, there's no business perfection. Instead, business curriculum focuses on continuous improvement--doing better and better and better at your work/calling/company/creation over time (whatever that means to you--though, indeed, some idiots focus just on income stream), but the work/company/whatever it is--it's never done--which is why the emphasis on a career there is so much bigger than any particular job. Whatever you are doing or building changes over time, and so do you. It's like that "can you ever really step into the same river twice?" thing. Many people might find that outlook horrifying, but I find it very zen--the building of a portfolio gives you wiggle room to take a bit of risk and screw some stuff up, too, you know? It's one of the things I liked most about business school (enough that I went back for a second degree!) LOL!
That's all to say, perhaps you would connect more with business books about continuous improvement and work performance than books about people who are healthy or maladaptive perfectionists, maybe? Just what I'm thinking. Maybe overthinking. 😂
Love the idea of a hardworking visionary. I think I'm hardworking 'pretty good enough' kind of person and need to cultivate my inner perfectionist a bit more. :-)
The Amish knitters, weavers, basket makers, always make at least 1 mistake in their work, because they believe only God is perfect. Truly, this has never been a problem for me, a knitter, cuz there are always tons of mistakes in my work. But it's always 'pretty good enough.' Enjoy your perfect day - because they all are!
I mean, what even is "perfect"? Do we even know? I've heard that before about deliberately putting in mistakes (although I think I heard it about Afghan rug makers?) and I do like that -- it goes along with embracing failures and accepting that nothing will ever be perfectly done.
Thanks for this Julie. I find perfectionism fascinating as it’s something I struggle with myself and also come from a long line of perfectionists. My observation has been that it can make you very unlikable, which is ok, SOMETIMES. Discerning the time to let it do it’s thing and the time to suppress it is key, I think. For me, the curse of perfectionism is always seeing the one negative thing in any room you walk into, which is usually not useful, but sometimes is, I guess, if you are trying to make that room as beautiful as possible. 🙃
Maybe the one negative thing is, in fact, what makes the room perfect. Or at least that was my first thought. Though this is coming from me, someone who no one would ever, ever call a perfectionist when it comes to my home decorating and housekeeping.
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said "high standard-ist" which yes, needs a better word, but it's definitely how I identify when it comes to creating and chasing "perfection." I put that in quotes because I understand that perfect doesn't exist, but I also know what I'm capable of. If my work isn't up to my own personal standards, I can't let it go. If I know I can do better, or if it doesn't yet meet the vision I had in my head (ha! "visionary"), I have a really hard time not going back to the drawing board.
I've found that usually I end work on something until I'm proud of it. Once I'm proud of it, it has almost always met my high standards. Maybe I'm a "pride perfectionist"...?
Thanks. I just started listening to The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (famous music producer) after watching a segment on him on 60 Minutes. Interesting, definitely Big Magic stuff, however highly repetitive. But I'm only 11% in hoping there are more tangible takeaways.
I just got that book from the library! It seems like everyone is reading it right now. I have read exactly 3 pages.
What you are saying makes complete sense.
I feel like perfectionism is seen as the negative extreme of self-improvement. Like, what happens when you expect MORE than yourself to meet your highest visionary standards (like other people to do so, too), or when your visionary standards cause you to shut down (i.e., procrastinate, or give up) vs. feel energized and suitably challenged.
It's funny, but because I went to business school, the word perfection--isn't a thing there? I mean, there's no business perfection. Instead, business curriculum focuses on continuous improvement--doing better and better and better at your work/calling/company/creation over time (whatever that means to you--though, indeed, some idiots focus just on income stream), but the work/company/whatever it is--it's never done--which is why the emphasis on a career there is so much bigger than any particular job. Whatever you are doing or building changes over time, and so do you. It's like that "can you ever really step into the same river twice?" thing. Many people might find that outlook horrifying, but I find it very zen--the building of a portfolio gives you wiggle room to take a bit of risk and screw some stuff up, too, you know? It's one of the things I liked most about business school (enough that I went back for a second degree!) LOL!
That's all to say, perhaps you would connect more with business books about continuous improvement and work performance than books about people who are healthy or maladaptive perfectionists, maybe? Just what I'm thinking. Maybe overthinking. 😂