Take Imperfect Action
So, picture this: you're all geared up to take on the world, but wait, there's a catch - your action plan is as flawed as a crooked painting in a fancy art gallery. But fear not, for in the realm of imperfection lies the secret sauce of progress. Embrace the chaos, dance with the uncertainty, and remember, even a wonky first step is better than standing still in perfectly polished shoes!
Practice Makes (Im)Perfect
I suffer from late-diagnosed ADHD. I was diagnosed (finally) in my mid-30’s and while it was a relief to know that I wasn’t just extremely lazy or self-sabotaging, it was also a cherry on the sundae of an already flawed productivity style. Now that I’m more aware of how my ADHD contributes to my everyday decisions, or lack thereof, I can confidently say that “just doing it” or to taking imperfect action is something that is easier said than done. Just writing this post is causing me EXTREME focus and anxiety for not allowing myself to wander off in the no-man’s-land of editing as I go, or looking up articles that back up my statements (that’s the grad student in me) or playing a YouTube video in the background explaining to me “How To Write The Perfect Post”. That being said, every time I feel the “itch” to stray away to a different screen or site, I recite an affirmation to myself that sounds something like: “Just keep going. Just finish. There will be time for that later.”
What if it all works out? -Mel Robbins, my idol and the absolute best motivational speaker (in my humble opinion)
To practice taking imperfect action means trusting yourself and your actions, and that can be challenging. ‘What if it sounds dumb?’ ‘What if I mess up?’ ‘What if I look back later and cringe while everyone laughs at me behind my back?’
Yikes. Just me with the intrusive thoughts?
What I tell my patients who are interested in building or breaking a habit is this: Practice means you have to work at it, you have to be patient with yourself, you have to be willing to be bad at something before you can be good at it. I also need to take my own advice.
Imperfection is a part of everyone’s life. We are all humans. Even Beyoncé.
“If everything was perfect, you would never learn, and you would never grow.” -Queen Bey
Look at all the experts in their given fields. They all practice. You can’t just start meditating and hit nirvana within a week. You can’t just pick up tennis and discover within the first few swings that you’re actually an undiscovered Serena Williams just waiting for your moment. Beyoncé doesn’t just show up to a stage somewhere and her hair starts magically flowing! (Or honestly, maybe it does.) The thing that everyone who is great or even good at something does is keep trying, keep practicing, keep taking chances that they might fail.
The more we strive for perfection rather than just progress, the more paralyzing it will be to start. How difficult is it to start rollerblading or skateboarding and expect to do a half-pipe, loopty-loop (are these things?) your first try? Really freaking difficult. But if you start on a flat road, with all your safety pads and helmet on, and learn how to start, stop, turn, etc. then you’ve just become a skater.
Don’t think, just be.
Being able to embody the goals that we have is the biggest step we take towards becoming that thing. It’s all about mindset, just like imperfect action. If I want to be a blogger (like I am trying to be now) then I AM a blogger. Is this post perfect? Probably not. Is this blog perfect? In the words of the pretty recognizable Randy Jackson from American Idol:
“That’s gonna be a no from me dawg.”
But here I am, exposing my words and infinitely wise advice to the one person (probably me) who is going to read this. I am prepared for that. I am prepared for failure. Why? Because now I’m one post better. And my second post will (hopefully) be better than that, and so on.
Progress over perfection…
I heard on a podcast once that one of the contributing factors as to why we see more men starting businesses endeavors rather than women is because they lack the fear and insecurity of putting themselves out there; they just start. While women feel the need to research what they’re doing in order to make it and sound like an expert, which significantly slows them down or, perhaps, interrupts their goals of even starting!
The point is, starting something with completely unearned confidence and ‘the safety of a net’ is how many men find their way to success, and it’s how we should all be operating.
If not now, when?
And if not you, then who? You should ask yourself this when you decide that someone else is already doing the thing you want to do, or you can’t do it because you’ve never (insert excuse here). I don’t personally like to subscribe to the “No Excuses” mentality, but I know that I am guilty of making excuses as to why I can’t write, or why I can’t (insert whatever it is I told myself I was really really going to do this time). Don’t wait for the motivation to come, or the right time, or the knowledge, or the inspiration… don’t wait. Just do. Take action today. It doesn’t have to be big, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, it doesn’t have to be perfect! Just do 1%. 1% is better than 0%. And 1% each day adds up to 100% eventually. You ARE the thing/person you want to be, remember that. You just have to start.
And go to therapy!
*Please note: This blog is provided for educational purposes only and should not be used as a replacement for medical advice from a physician.*
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