Imperfectly Perfect

Are you a perfectionist? Is the tyrannical reign of perfectionism keeping you from living to your fullest? Do you experience paralysis? Avoidance? Procrastination? Does perfectionism prevent you from starting or finishing a project?

When we are in a perfectionist mindset we expect more from people and projects than is helpful or realistic. We buy into the fallacy that we will be happier, more fulfilled and more loved if certain, if not all, things are perfect in our lives.

Get your Mad Libs on: If this ______ (noun) is perfect then _________ (pronoun) will _____ (emotion verb) me.

Did you answers surprise you? What was your emotional verb? Did that verb point to a desire for connection?

    At the root of perfectionism is the desire to connect. (click to tweet)  

But here's the thing...

    Perfection impedes true connection. (click to tweet)  

Perfection creates masks and barriers that prevent people from truly seeing us. The primary definition of perfection is without flaw. If something is flawless, it is also impenetrable. As a deeply flawed person, I don't know how to relate to something that is flawless. It is our flaws that expose our vulnerabilities and humanity. It's in that space that we can connect to each other.

When I was confronting my own perfectionism, I discovered a more obscure definition of perfection that changed my life: lacking nothing essential to the whole. Read that again: Lacking nothing essential to the whole. If I'm practicing integrity, honoring my commitments, being present for my life and living authentically, am I lacking anything essential to whole? I think not, and neither are you.

I am and you are imperfectly perfect.

Next time you feel the beast of perfectionism rising inside of you, remind yourself that you are imperfectly perfect. Let that desire to be flawless flow out of you and actively connect to another person.

What were your Mad Lib answers?
How does perfectionism manifest in your life?
What do you do to move past perfectionism?  

Clearing Away Corpsies

Yes, I play Farm Heroes Saga. For those of you not familiar, it's Candy Crush with healthy stuff. On level 71, Farm Heroes Saga introduces grumpy corpsies. These jaded fruits/vegetables spoil any match they become part of (the rotten apple spoils the barrel). They can be challenging and undesirable.  

Likewise, tasks can become grumpy corpsies. They're the tasks that have been on your to-do list forever because you just don't want to deal with them. Corpsies can make to-do lists unbearable.

I don't even want to look at my to-do list when there are corpsies on it. This can make me rather grumpy.

Luckily...

  

Clearing away corpsies fosters productivity. (click to tweet)

Do you have grumpy corpsies on your to-do list?

Here are 5 tips for clearing away those pesky corpsies:

1. Get Real About Your Corpsies

You must get real about whether or not you are actually going to accomplish this task. There are some tasks that you must do regardless of your lack of desire to do them, like registering your car or submitting your book outline to your editor. Then there are tasks that you would like to do but just don't seem to get around doing them for a variety of reasons. Determine which tasks are a must and which are a desire so you can take the necessary action to remove it from your to-do list.

2. Say Goodbye to Desire Corpsies

If a desire has turned into a corpsie, it's time to let it go. This doesn't mean forever, just for right now. Let yourself off the hook, and put your focus and energies on those tasks that must get done and those that are currently flowing. I recommend creating a space for your desires to hangout until you are ready to work on them (ie, a pinterest board, a drawer, a notebook, etc). This way you honor the desire but don't allow it to create corpsie gridlock on your to-do list.

3. Break Corpsies Down into Manageable Action Steps.

Sometimes tasks turn into corpsies because they feel overwhelming. Large tasks become manageable when we break them down into actions steps.  Write down all of the steps that need to happen in order for you to do accomplish the task. Break it down into ridiculously small and specific steps like turn on computer, free write for thirty minutes, etc. The idea here is to make the action steps completely do-able for you. 

4. Schedule It

Once you have broken down the corpsie into manageable action steps, identify the first three steps and schedule them. Be mindful not to schedule too many corspies on one day and insure that you give yourself extra time to accomplish this task as you may have to battle resistance. Once you have accomplished the three steps, move on to the next three. Do this until the task is complete. 

5. Rule of Threes

I’ve made a pact with myself that I only have to do three things a day that I absolutely don’t want to. Knowing that I only have to do three dreaded things a day, helps me get them done (it also feels so good when I cross them off the list). Use whatever quantity works for you. Even a pact to do one will get grumpy corpsies off that list.

I hope these tips are helpful to you. What are some of your corpsies? How do you clear them off of your to-do list?