The Perversity of Perfection

When is good enough, OK? How long do we wait it out, work it over, contemplate it, rewrite, redo, add-on, modify and ultimately avoid completion of a creative project? When do we stand back and willingly break the champagne bottle across the bow, allowing our ship to sail out into the sometimes perilous waters of the public domain? How prepared are we for praise or is it the criticism we anticipate? Is it truly a celebration yet? When is it OK to let go, release the piece and by extension reveal our deepest selves to strangers? Where do you stash your “on-hold” projects?

“I have spent my days stringing and unstringing my instrument, while the song I came to sing remains unsung.” -Rabindranth Tagore

For many us of, beginnings are exciting and often far more interesting than endings. Beginnings are fresh and herald in possibility and newness. On the other hand, completion points to the next undertaking; a refocus on something else. Will it be equally exciting or test your abilities and talents. Were you a “one hit wonder” or a legitimate talent? Will you be revealed as a fraud or a mover and shaker?

Here is the reality check-in. Fear is the enemy of action. The more you ponder, the less likely you are to MOVE FORWARD, submit the project, send out the manuscript, or deliver the painting to the gallery owner. We react to situations when we do not have a goal. We act upon them when we are sure of our goals. When you write down your goals, it activates something in your brain that leads to actions that help realize them.

If you have a studio filled with art, are you clear on what you want to do with it? Is it too hard to part with pieces or do you have too little business knowledge?

1. Hire an agent

2. Enter one piece in a show

3. Take a class in a related medium to shift your focus

Is the next American novel languishing away on your computer, wasting your time as it beckons you to rewrite it once again? Permanent inertia has grabbed your soul and is paralyzing your thinking.

1. Find an editor

2. Join a writing co-op

3. Barter services with a web expert

As the great hockey player Wayne Gretsky once said, “If you never take your shot, you’ll never score the goal.” This week, challenge yourself to “just do it” without hesitation and let the fun begin.

However comfortable you assumed you were with change, it may morph into overwhelming anxiety that was never anticipated. This might be the ideal time to engage the support of a career coach with experience in helping professionals achieve better, faster, results. At KICKSTART Your Transition we offer a broad range of services to fit your needs.

©MWeisner2019

#achievablegoals #realitycheckin #criticism #fear #perfectionism