Why Some and Done can be Better than All and Perfect
“Done is Better than Perfect.” – Sheryl Sandberg
All and perfect are two things many strive for thinking that in order for true completion to happen it must be perfectly done and wholly complete. Unfortunately having a mindset like this can actually stall your progress, and there comes a point where you just need to accept that perfection is not a real thing and striving for PERFECT is not a worthy endeavor. While having an all or nothing mentality can be advantageous in decision making, it can also give you a reason to not do anything, if you can’t do it all then what’s the point? There will always be unexpected issues or scheduling conflicts that will upset what your vision of how the task at hand will play out, but at the end of day if the job doesn’t get completed (or even started) any work towards perfection won’t matter.
At the Office
If this sounds familiar to you chances are you have a great work ethic, but applying a mindset like this to your work can just bog you down in relentless needless editing while allowing yourself to push off working on larger projects. If you are: re-reading an email over and over again making sure that the spacing is correct, spending maddening hours adjusting layouts of presentations, waiting to market an upcoming workshop because you only have 80% of the material completed or avoiding taking on a complicated project by working on smaller ones that are easier to check off, stop and see the bigger picture. The larger more complicated tasks will need to be started eventually and working on what you can at the time will allow to make some progress towards completion. If it is a critical job where absolute precision is needed (i.e. medical doses/prescriptions, surgeries) then most likely a system has already been put in place to account for this. Yes, please re-read your emails once, make sure your message is clear and concise but then you’ve got to hit send. A ‘perfect’ job completed late is still a late job, while a job that meets all the core criteria done on time is often the more desirable option.
Outside the Office
This work mindset can often reside at home as well. Have you ever skipped your workout because you’re running late and your desired hour workout is no longer possible? Maybe you made a less than nutritious choice for breakfast and you see no point in eating a quality lunch since you’ve already (in your mind) thrown the whole day? Trust me, a 10 or 20 minute workout is far better than a zero minute workout, and eating two healthy meals is better than eating like crap for the whole day. With most things in our life, completing some and doing what you can with what time you have is still better than not. This idea of perfect and all usually leads to self-sabotage because it can allow for justification. You can justify eating the pizza, or not getting your steps in because you are not acknowledging that there are other choices besides the limited ones you’ve set.
Allow Some and Done for Others
Remember that some and done also applies to those around you. The same task can be completed several different ways and holding onto the idea that your way is the right way only keeps more on your plate. If the task gets completed, if the presentation delivers the message, if the children are fed and the dishes are done does it really matter how it was completed? Letting go of criticism and judgement allows you to free yourself up to focus on other things. I can attest to this personally. I dislike….no detest grocery shopping, so my amazingly supportive husband does the grocery shopping. I will write the list as best I can but I’ve learned to accept what he comes home with. If I wanted a specific protein bar but only wrote protein bar on the list and he comes home with a different one, I do not say anything to him. There is nothing wrong with my legs, I can drive, I can go the market just as easily as him but he is doing this to help me out, I will however get more specific on the next list. Imposing your own judgement and comments on those around you will lead to bitter and hurt feelings and in the future the support that was once there will not be. If others are willing and capable to help out then let them, and let them do it their way.
Remember “there is more than one way to cook an egg” and so long as the egg is completely cooked and salmonella free chances are no one will get sick from eating it. There are many options between all or nothing and doing what you can is almost always better and more beneficial than doing nothing. Let go of the self-imposed road blocks to progress, see all of the options, there is value in some and done.