04/11/2021
Perfectionism is T O X I C .
I recently realised that my relationship with perfectionism is extremely toxic. It may not be the same for you; but hereâs what happens for me.
When it comes to writing an essay, creating a presentation, or the simple things, like making a cup of coffee; I feel like I can always do better when I re-evaluate.
Most of the time, re-evaluating your work is great; but there is a fine line between making minor improvements & getting stuck in a toxic cycle of re-evaluating & re-creating.
This may not seem scary at first; but when it becomes a habit, then itâs problematic. The amount of time it takes for this process to be complete, is endless! And by the end; you never feel ready, or the âsemi-endâ product is never good enough.
To identify that perfectionism has become toxic, is when you donât know when to stop re-evaluating.
A very simple way to combat perfectionism is the 80/20 rule, also known as Paretoâs principle. Vilfredo Paretoâs rule says, â80% of the results are coming from 20% of the effortsâ, and this means that if you put 20% of the time working on a task, around 8/10 of it will be complete. And after this, the more time & effort you keep putting in, the less effective itâll be. There are a number of practical applications, for example, in investing, business & time management.
⢠In terms of investing; 20% of holdings in a portfolio are responsible for 80% of the portfolioâs growth. On the flip side, 20% of a portfolioâs holdings could be responsible for 80% of its losses.
⢠Time management wise; businesses often found that 20% of their time created 80% of their productivity, and 20% of the employees created 80% of the value.
In other words; allocate a time, complete the task as fast as you can, take a break, and with fresh eyes, review and edit. After this; donât stress yourself out, be confident with end product, hand it in & move onto the next task! Because we have to keep in mind, everything can only be better in that moment in time, and thatâs okay.
Perfectionism is great, but Progress is better. You get your pay check or your project ticked off, when you finish it, not when you Perfect it.
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