28.09.2022

Don’t Wait For Perfection | Guide | Missing

Hello there! Welcome to my weekly LEAPS. 

You’re receiving this email because you subscribed to my weekly Wednesday feature or our mailing list. Every Wednesday, I share 5 things using our LEAPS approach: 

Learn: something new or an idea
Energy: something that’s creating an energy and positive impact
Action: something to do
Processing: a question to consider
Shout out: something or someone that I want to celebrate or acknowledge

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LEARN
Something Worth Sharing

Don’t Wait For Perfection

I think many of us have experienced being caught up in trying to create perfection: for our board report, cooking the most incredible meal, just the right email, our relationships, our appearance, our marketing campaign…I could go on. I’ve re-learnt that aiming for perfection can lead to a number of challenges, from stopping or delaying actions (or ‘failure to ship’ as marketing expert and author Seth Godin puts it) to feeling like nothing is ever good enough - and judging ourselves harshly as perfection hasn’t been achieved.

I’ve realised over the years that perfection is usually just a judgement call anyway. What I see as perfection may well differ to someone else. In things that I create, I judge in a far more detailed way - and apply a much more self-critical lens. I know I am guilty of actively looking for the mistakes rather than focusing on the positive points, most of us do this. This has got me thinking that we probably all need:

• to get out of our way (or out of our own head)

• to just send / begin / try

• to realise we are the worst judges of our own perfection

• to realise perfection is usually unrealistic - if even possible

• to understand if you don’t send something out of fear, perfection is irrelevant anyway

• to relax: we don’t always need to take things so personally

In summary life is too short to wait for perfection, but trying our best and realising that we can always improve and iterate is far more useful.

ENERGY
Focusing on an emotion or positive energy; a stand-out word / s

Guide / Guidance

When I first worked ‘full time’ in our manufacturing family business - many years ago - one of my early duties was to create assembly instruction manuals for our products. The first one of these that I created, I was challenged about the “instruction manual” title. My cousin (who was the MD), suggested that while we can explain the best or easiest way to put things together, we needed to understand people a) don’t like being told HOW to do things in a restrictive way, b) it’s easy for them to blame issues when ‘instructed’ and c) we aren’t on site with them to know what they can do / can’t do. This led me to retitle the documents as “Guidance Manuals”.

I’d rather be guided that instructed - on tasks and in life. We can all seek out inspiration, mentors, or experts to learn from and by guided by. The word GUIDE originates from Germanic WITANAN meaning "to look after, guard, ascribe to, reproach".

ACTION
Something small that you can do that might make a big difference

Take The Time and Digest

I mentioned our research regarding what people most crave recently (this being space and rest). We’ve continued looking at the issues around how common it seems that people are feeling overwhelmed and burnt out - and that the world seems to constantly be speeding up.

This suggested action takes that into consideration. See if you can take a little extra time for things - be deliberate in slowing down; re-read the article you just read, ask a question when someone shares something with you, pause as you go into a meeting or make a phone call, just sit as you finish a call or book, or meal...let the meal, information, conversation, situation etc be digested fully.

PROCESSING
A question to think about and consider (you can discuss this with someone or write your thoughts down)

“What am I missing?”

This is a great question…you can read and interpret it in so many ways. I recommend writing the question at the top of a piece of paper and let your mind wander freely. See where the question takes you. You might consider people no longer in your life and friendships, or perhaps failing to understand a complex issue - missing the point. The answers could be emotionally driven as well as physically driven.

SHOUT OUT
Who / what I think deserves recognition, my gratitude or to be celebrated.

Funny Sayings

I heard a podcast this week and the guest being interviewed used the term “hoo-ha” in the context of causing a fuss (I know it can also refer to other things!). It really made me smile and led me to think about all the other silly sayings we use that in their own right mean very little, but in other ways are perfect for explaining something - such as “heebie-jeebies” (scared) or “dilly-dallying” (wasting time). I’m shouting all of these out!

BONUS GIFT FOR YOU
This week’s little extra for you - from me

This week, I’m gifting you a download of my visual for Seth Godin’s book The Practice. This book is the one that mentions the need to ‘ship’ (see Learn).

To access this download free of charge, use code SETHSAYS (use this code before next Wednesday 5th October).

If you’d like to discuss having your ideas, business or culture captured visually - you can also let me know via email.

*** ORDER YOURS NOW ***

Order Your Deliberate Year Calendar & Logbook Set

LEAPS is a process used by our team and clients all the time - and even my own family on a daily basis. 

I’ll be sharing a set of LEAPS each week with you and encourage you to do your own version:

• L: what have you learned?

• E: what’s your energy / feeling word

• A: what’s one thing you need to do?

• P: what are you thinking / processing?

• S: who or what can you shout out?