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Why Being Imperfect is Perfect

Written on April 15, 2008 by George Krueger & Mary-Lynn Foster in Balance, Happiness, Personal Growth, Personality

On the show, George said his dad was a perfectionist. Specifically, he was a bricklayer who was known for his impeccable craftsmanship. However, when he was working on other things, George said he would sometimes hear his dad say …

“It’s good enough for who it’s for.”

That’s a great saying to remember to help you fight your inner perfectionist. When you’re working on something, you reach a point of diminishing returns.

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2 options
#1 – You can spend a whole bunch more time to get something a little bit better, or

#2 – You can spend the same time and get a whole bunch more done.

In most cases, you’re better off doing #1!

The 80 / 20 rule
Apply the old 80 / 20 rule – 80 percent of the things you do probably don’t need to be perfect; only 20 percent do.

If what you’re working on is really important, go for the marginal improvement you’ll get from spending the extra time on it. If it’s not that important, get it done and remind yourself that it’s good enough for who it’s for.

For example, Mary-Lynn said that she used to try to get her hair to look just right before she went to work. But she has a lot of hair, so it took some time. She found that if she kept fussing with it, she’d be late for work. She learned to just turn off that curling iron, pull the plug and say, “It’s good enough for who it’s for.”

George said he only wished he had enough hair to have that problem!

Perfectionism causes procrastination
Perfectionism can be a huge problem because it may cause you to procrastinate. Have you ever put off doing something because everything had to be perfect before you could start?

George said that when he had a report to write in college, he would never be satisfied with the research he had done. The house had to be immaculate before he could start. His desk had to be cleaned and organized. He finally learned to say, “It’s good enough for who it’s for!” Then he could get start writing the report!

Rebutting your inner perfectionist
There’s a well-known technique for fighting off your inner critic. Start a journal that records the conversation between the perfectionist in you and your more practical self. This helps you discover what is causing your need for perfection so you can rebut your inner perfectionist.

So, yes, we’re telling you to talk to yourself! But remember, you don’t need a perfect reply or a perfect question.

Our bigg quote today is a shortened version of a quote by John Updike:

“Perfectionism is the enemy of creation …”

So fight off your inner perfectionist with these simple words, “It’s good enough for who it’s for.”

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Next time, we’ll discuss how to increase your profit year after year. Until then, here’s to your bigg success!

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(Image by woodsy)

Tags: bricklayer, conversations, impeccable craftsmanship, marginal improvement, perfectionism, perfectionist, point of diminishing returns, procrastination, words

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I’m Overwhelmed! How Do I Get Started on my Project?

Written on April 10, 2008 by George Krueger & Mary-Lynn Foster in Bigg Solutions, Challenge, Time Management

Bigg Challenge:
Dan says his new job requires him to do a lot of projects. When a project comes his way, he often feels overwhelmed by all the little things that need to be done. So it takes a couple of days to really dive in. He wants some advice on how to get started sooner.

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Bigg Advice:
Don’t feel alone on this one, Dan. A lot of people face this problem or a similar one. It can be daunting, wondering how you’ll ever get it all done.

3 tips to help you get started on your next project

#1 – Break it down.
Don’t look at it as one bigg project. See it as a series of small ones. These small mini-projects won’t look so overwhelming. You can complete them relatively quickly and easily.

#2 – Just get started.
Start with something that plays to your strengths or that you think is easy. For example, look over the project and see what tasks require input from someone else. Then reach out to those people.

It’s relatively easy to do – just make a phone call or send an e-mail – and it gets the ball rolling.

Starting with the easy stuff gets the momentum going your way. As you check things off, you’ll feel good about the progress.

Then consider diving into those things that seem difficult. By front-loading, you’ll know that you’ll have it made as the project nears its completion.

#3 – Don’t overload your day.
You have a deadline for the whole project. In Point 1, you broke it down into mini-projects. Plan it out so each mini-project has its own deadline.

By doing this, the project won’t consume you. So you’ll look forward to it more, and you’ll be more likely to dive in each day and keep going.

Give yourself some fudge – time to react, to do things that are more fun, to have some downtime, and to work on something else.

Putting the puzzle together
Here’s an analogy to help simplify this process. Think of putting together a jigsaw puzzle. You have all the pieces on the table in front of you. It’s a mess! So where do you start?

Look for the corner pieces! They’re the easiest to find.

Then look for all the border pieces and put them together. You’ll have the framework in place for the rest of the puzzle.

Now, you can start working on the inside. With the picture of the completed puzzle in front of you, start finding pieces that fit into the border pieces and match each other. Keep going until you’re done.

Create a picture of your completed project in your mind. Then put the framework in place and fill it in. The next thing you know, your project will be done!

Thanks, Dan, for sharing your bigg challenge with us!