Perfection is the enemy of progress

Your hyper-critical mindset is a double edged sword.

It stops you from making progress and succeeding - it keeps you in doubt and failure.

While quality is key, the way to get there isn't by endlessly tweaking your work.

Instead, it's to keep shipping your product - improving 1% more each time.

When you follow the trail of "why's"

• Why do I want things to be perfect before I share with others?

• Why do I worry about getting judged by others?

• Why do I overthink the work I do?

These all stem from fear.

• Fear of not being enough.

• Fear of uncertainty.

• Fear of judgement

• Fear of failure.

No matter how long you stall, the fear will always be there - you can't escape it by thinking and rationalizing it.

The only way to overcome your fear is to move through it and act in the direction of your goal, in-spite of fear.

Before we go further - please don't be stupid.

When I say to "move through fear", it doesn't mean to take dangerous life threatening risks.

The fear we talk about here and moving forwards is always on irrational fear.

Fear our reptilian brains give even in non-life threatening situations which hold us back from the lifestyle we want.

Stay safe in all activities you do :)

F.E.A.R

False

Events

Appearing

Real

This acronym gets overused but it's kinda true.

The feeling of fear comes from your amygdala - a small organ in the middle of your brain.

It alerts your nervous system, which sets your body's fear response into motion.

Stress hormones (cortisol and adrenaline) get released.

Your blood pressure and heart rate increase.

You get "butterflies" in your stomach.

Fear is a response from the reptilian brain.

This brain - or system - handles basic survival functions. Heart rate, breathing, body temperature etc.

Our reptilian brain is set to fear anything that might be a threat to our survival from pre-historic ages.

This means there are subconscious systems at work which give us the feeling of fear in situations which are not dangerous for us in the modern age.

Things such as speaking in front of 1000 people, talking to a stranger, and even basic things like asking for the time.

All these in the pre-historic times could have been fatal to us.

If we communicated the wrong thing, at the wrong time and place - we get kicked out of the tribe and lose people who help us survive/eat, sleep safe, nuture family etc.

While this system has saved our ancestors countless times, in today's age - it stop us from living the life we want.

Quality > Quantity

Quantity + Quantity = Quality

Most people operate with the belief that quality > quantity.

But this only applies to highly skilled individuals - not beginners.

When you're first learning a skill, you need to get the reps in.

This gets you learning the in's and out's of everything.

As you get more skilled and knowledgeable, you gradually transition to an emphasis on quality.

Starting with quality leads to years of frustration and bad results.

And the reason you're starting with quality is due to fear of putting out a product you feel isn't "perfect".

*Perfection is the enemy of progress*

How to overcome fear

The good thing is that there's only 1 solution to this irrational "reptilian" fear.

And that's through it.

I know - easier said than done.

But that's the only way you're going to get what you want, finish your work, hit post, grow your audience and take that massive next step for your creative project.

If this fear is enough to stop you from moving forward, then maybe you don't get to have that dream life you want.

Time freedom.

Location freedom.

Financial freedom.

All these are on the other side of your fear.

Here are some thought exercises to help you decide to push through your fears.

1. What's the worst that can happen and if it does, how does that affect you in the next week, month, year?

2. What happens in 3 years if you don't change what your doing now and don't face your fear?

3. How does NOT facing your fear affect your family, your health, your current work/job, your kids?

4. If you face your fear, what happens to your life, your family, your health, your future etc?

These will not get rid of your fear, they will instead give you the courage to face your fear and overcome it.

I encourage you to pause and take a moment to think on what it is you're procrastinating and trying to make "perfect".

Follow the trail of "why".

And push through those fears - it's the only thing stopping your from potentially changing your life forever.

Peace,

Vig/MA

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