Don’t focus on the numbers or on perfection, focus on small incremental improvements
Small improvements. Responding to feedback. Simplifying. Making irresistible.
After running my first CORA webinar this week on how to take a radically simplified approach to managing information, I’ve schedule #2 for Tuesday Aug 16th at 9:15am (NZ time).
What did I learn?
Keep it simple! I knew I had descended into an old pattern of perfectionism, after the first full day of writing the script for the 45 min event, but I kept going, forgetting what I learnt recently about where this tendency comes from.
Perfectionism is defined by psychologists today, as an endless report card on accomplishments or looks. A fast and enduring path to unhappiness. While focussed on success, we are mostly focussed on avoiding failure. And yes, there’s a difference between striving for excellence and demanding perfection.
Whew! What a beautiful summary.
It turns out that things like moving house and community can magnify developing perfectionism. New environments, and new people to gain approval from. Being a good boy.
That one nails it for me.
My father was a budding young vet out of college when we jumped on a ship and sailed to New Zealand in 1959. We moved around as he took on various locum positions, then we sailed by ship back to England around 1963.
We continued to move, before my parents divorced and my mother decided that NZ was a good place to raise kids. So Mum, bonus father, two sisters and baby brother sailed back to New Zealand - the third ocean crossing - when I was 11 in 1968. By the time I got to High school at 12 I had attended 13 different schools! I was wedded to being perfect to gain the approval of others, and always in fear of failure.
But allowing failure has to be part of the journey.
Take two
So I sat down on Friday afternoon and re designed the presentation content for the next session on Tuesday, using some post-it notes. It took about 20 minutes.
I’m ready - I may not deliver a word perfect presentation, but this is enough to guide the conversation, deliver the most important points, while showing and telling how it works in my life.
I received some awesome and practical feedback and have made changes to the webinar design, and I will ask for feedback every time so I keep making small incremental improvements. Simplifying the message and making it irresistible.
I hope to see you at this or one of the future webinars I’ll keep putting on.
If you haven’t registered for this newsletter yet, I welcome you along on the journey. I post a new letter most weeks, but allow life to take over, so sometimes miss one.