Don't Let 'ISM' Slow You Down

Author and blogger, Paul Lemburg, defined perfectionism yesterday and I liked the way he described it.

He clarified that just like money is not the root of all evil, but it's the “love of money” that can cause the problems. 

In that same vein, Paul explained that "Perfectionism is the love, desire and single-minded pursuit of perfection, and that is what truly slows things down." I like how he made the differentiation here.  Shooting for perfection is never a bad thing.  It just becomes a negative when things come to a grinding halt because of it. 

So... what if you could shoot for perfection but not get hung up on the "ISM?" It's possible.  Need proof?

Case in point... West Des Moines' own Queen of Gymnastics Shawn Johnson. 

A few weeks ago, she won the All-Around Title at the World Gymnastics Finals in Stuttgart, Germany.

Her bright smile and sky-high jumps scored a 61.875.  (Note: the score wasn't perfect.  But it was darn close.)

I'm sure there was pressure to go for perfection.  I'm sure she trained for perfection.  But when it came time to deliver... she didn't let the "ism" get in the way. 

In fact, a direct quote helps to capture her approach. 

"I was very nervous, knowing that I was that close to a world medal," Johnson said. "I just went out and tried to have fun. I felt a little shaky, and I am going to go back and work on perfection."

That's right.  She didn't let the "ism" get in the way.  She went out.  She shot for perfection.  She worked hard.  She had fun.  And... she won.

And now... she's returned back home to work on perfection again.

Yup.  I love it.

So her mantra for beating the "ISM" was something like... "Do your best and have fun doing it."

How about you? What do you tell yourself to help beat the "ISM" in Perfectionism? What's your mantra for breaking through the ISM?

Here's a few of my favorites:

• "Progress not perfection."
• "It doesn't have to be perfect.  It just has to be done."
• "What small but significant thing can I do to shoot for perfection in this project today?"

Okay... now how about you?  How do you remind yourself to shoot for perfection... but not get hung up on the "ISM?"

What do you say to yourself?  What do you do?

Click comments and join in the conversation.

Photo Credit: Auður Sigbergsdóttir (Note: picture is not Shawn Johnson)

Comments

[Shirley Poertner]

Mitch--your post really rang true for me. Many of the executives I coach are so hung up on the "ism's" in their corporate cultures that they are tramatized and can't be themselves, heaven forbid "have fun!" Your post serves as a great reminder. Shirley

[Paul Lemberg]

Mitch,

Love your post and I think you are right on point. And there are a few places where "perfect" really matters, including athletics and avionics! In most other places the quest for perfection just gums up the works. In business acceleration and the quest for growth, it's a disaster.

Paul Lemberg
www.be-unreasonable.com