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Imperfectionism: Facing the Paralysis of Two Good Options

This post is the fourth of five in a series that I am calling Imperfectionism. It's about holding ourselves to a standard of God's grace, not perfection. Read 'em and reap [excellent decisions].

     Making a decision between two good options is one of the most difficult scenarios for a recovering perfectionist. These decisions may or may not be large life decisions, but they are often overwhelming and even paralyzing in the moment. That's what we're tackling today.

"While there are some upsides to perfectionism, there are far more downsides—especially when it comes to getting work done and achieving personal goals. At its most benign, perfectionism fuels a nagging sense of incompleteness, an inability to appreciate success, and an obsession with detail. At its worst, it’s utterly paralyzing, rooted in a belief that it’s worse to make something bad than to make nothing at all, that it’s better to tend to the walls around your comfort zone than to strike out with something new."

     I hate to tell you this. There is no perfect solution to all of your decisions, which is probably the worst possible news for a perfectionist. But for an imperfectionist, these turning points are opportunities to try something new. Your comfort zone is no longer an option.

      Throw caution to the wind for a moment and follow the most compelling opportunity.


     That's right. The most compelling opportunity. As in, listen to your deepest desire.

     Because not only does your brain contain logical, judging, and even panic-inducing thoughts. It also has intuitive, gut-instinct feelings. When logic is failing you in your decision-making process, that means it is time to learn how to cultivate and listen to your intuition as an imperfectionist.

     Listening to your intuition allows room for error.

     It takes that risk. It means that you know you may make a decision you regret later. However, if your gut is guided by your clearly-outlined priorities (we'll discuss this tomorrow), this happens less than you think it does.

Story Time

     For example, if I want to one day be a big-shot New York City editor in a fiction publishing house, my priority is to gain editorial experience for my resume. I knew I could live with my parents for now, so I decided before job-searching that experience in my field was more important to me than a full-time nine-to-five gig.

     So when I had to choose between a paying job that had nothing to do with my future career or an unpaid internship that would give me valuable experience in my field, I went with the most compelling opportunity.

     This feels dangerous, yet the romantic notion of your "gut" or "instinct" is often braver than your practical side of your brain.

     In the same article, Laura Loker goes on to write about her new perspective: "I feel free to take on goals without a predictable outcome, to view challenges as opportunities for growth rather than litmus tests of my current skills, and to recognize when achieving perfection—or something close to it—is not worth the extra effort required. Perhaps G.K. Chesterton said it best: 'Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.'"

     Do something badly today. Or make a decision, big or small, by following the most compelling opportunity rather than weighing things with pure logic.

     That's the imperfectionist way.

~Madeline

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