Perfect. grrrr
Looking good and being smart, clever or witty. Those are just some of the things that drive me and probably you. There are others, less noble and perhaps more interesting, but these are the ones that I want to talk about today.
These gremlins still keep popping up and stopping me from creating things. I don’t know about you, but my internal editor hates to let me get even one whole sentence down without looking over it a second or third time. Sometimes it’s what keeps me from making an important call.
Perfect is a pain in the ass!
It’s the little voice in my head that says, “Really? After all this time, you still don’t know where to put a comma?” And then, I’m stopped. I’m a failure. I can’t finish a story if I can’t finish a sentence, right?.
How in the world do we keep going with this constant niggling going on?
Hemmingway’s little voice probably cursed him for bad punctuation. And, let’s not get started on e.e. cummings!
I’ve read that Jim Carey has a full-time therapist that goes around with him because he fears what he’s doing won’t work. (Of course, you can’t believe Anything you read on the internets.)
But, these people worked through their struggles, they learned what needs to be learned, they stifle the voice, and they have become very successful.
The thing is, nothing is easy when you start. If it was easy, everyone would do it. BUT, the more you write, the better you get. The more you ski, paint, manage people, or dabble in Photoshop, the better you get at all of them AND there are resources for any problem you may have.
Just about everything can be found in books that are already out there, websites, and people. Go find someone that has done it before you. They can offer tips, inspiration or more.
You know that Perfect is going to whisper in your ear, pointing out all sorts of mistakes, slip-ups and such. Trust me. It’s OK. All is right with the world.
What have I learned from Improv??
Two great lessons that help me get through everything. And they’re simple! Not always easy, but simple.
1. Even if you don’t know how it’s going to work out, GO! Make it up as you go. Have the confidence that you can make it work.
2. Commit to it! No pussy-footing around. Do it as if Everything depends on it getting done.
It might be tough at first. Remember, everything is. But, it’s like a muscle; the more you use it the stronger it will get.
Learn to Go Anyway and Commit and everything will get done! Your life will astound you.
One more thing you need to know: It does not help you to fight the voice, to yell at it.
For example, when I’m writing and the voice pops up, I just say, “Thanks for watching out for me. I appreciate that you want me to look good and be safe. But this isn’t going to be seen by anyone and it will be excellent before I put it out there. And I’ll need your help during revision. Talk to you later.”
Perfect is a dream and will keep you from stretching.
Striving for excellence will yield superior results!
You might check out my speaker friend Topher Morrison’s book “Settle for Excellence” for more on that.
You can find him and it here: http://tophermorrison.com/ (Not an affiliate link or anything. I just like the guy!)
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