“The purpose of thinking isn’t to be right, it’s to be effective.”
— Edward De Bono
I'm a perfectionist.
In some ways, it's served me well.
It allows me to catch details that most miss, like figuring out the perfect position for someone's squat that doesn't make their back or knees want to explode. My clients ask me at times how I knew,I just see it.
In other ways, it's a huge pain in my ass.
It makes me obsess over details that most could look past that mostly don't matter. It also holds me back from finishing things that need to get done.
I can spend hours looking at reviews for a stud finder I need to buy. How much do you think the reviews matter? How much do you think this delays the act of hanging the item that needs to be hung fueling annoyance and commentary from my significant other...
It's something which has left me with a whole lot of unfinished projects and nothing to show for it in the past.
I've gotten better at reeling this in though, reducing the stockpile of task lists, and half finished undertakings.
Two ways I've managed to get this under better control:
Yep, not that serious
- Breaking something down into single actionable tasks and make these my sole focus until completed.
- The other is having a schedule and/or a non-negotiable pull the trigger date.
Usually the pull the trigger date/deadline give me a ton of anxiety, but in the end, it always seems to work out. It keeps me accountable.
Thinking is most useful when combined with action and accountability.
I'm pretty sure you can see how this can apply to getting fitter or eating better right?
I often chat with people looking to gain or lose a few pounds, get stronger, or learn a new skill.
They've usually spent (a ton of) time putting together the perfect action plan. Researching diets, routines, optimal schedules, getting opinions from just about everybody, along with scouting out outfits, shoes and more!
But they haven't started yet.
They've thought it out to the point that it seems impossible to start, or now they're not sure where to start. They've given themselves a mountain to climb instead of starting on a hill.
The most important thing I do for most people is helping them with the things I've struggled with myself. Namely prioritizing, and spending less time thinking about things that don't matter and more time doing.
Think to yourself about what you want to accomplish in the next few months, what's the first step towards that and how are you keeping yourself accountable to getting it done?
P.S If you're having trouble moving forward and think I could possibly help, let's chat about it.