Over the last couple of weeks, I noticed that many people try to complete jobs by doing everything at once instead of breaking the job into smaller manageable tasks. Many times they get stuck trying to figure out where to start. Some people get so overwhelmed with trying to start that they end up procrastinating. This is especially true if the job isn’t time-critical in their eyes. » Read more: Slow down and be S.M.A.R.T.
Archive for the ‘Procrastination’ category
Slow down and be S.M.A.R.T.
April 23rd, 2010Failing forward – recovering perfectionist
February 22nd, 2010I have often heard the cliché “measure twice, cut once” in reference to cutting lumber. The practice of measuring twice before cutting works most of the time. You measure the length, then double check yourself. Sometimes, you find out that you made a mistake on the first measurement and you get a chance to correct that mistake. The rest of this story reminds us that a second opinion ensures you’re measuring the right surface to cut. » Read more: Failing forward – recovering perfectionist
Sprinklers and Procrastination
June 1st, 2009Many years ago, I was an extreme perfectionist. What, you say, does that have to do with Sprinklers and Procrastination? Being a new home owner, I had never done sprinklers before. I had read many books on the subject. I had this fear that I wouldn’t live up to my own standards. I might make a mistake. The project had to be perfect, or I shouldn’t even start it. I put off the project for 6 months. I would always find some reason to avoid starting.
Finally, after many months of excuses, I started the project. Sure, I ran into a few snags along the way. The errors were few and most were fixable with a PVC coupler. As time went on I got better and faster. Once the project was completed, I pressure tested the assembly, then ran the sprinklers. The sprinklers worked exactly as designed, it wasn’t perfect, but it was functional. After, I completed the testing, I covered up the ditches where the pipes were laying and no one ever saw any of my work. All they could see were the results of my work.
I learned a few things on that project:
- PVC is pretty forgiving.
- PVC Couplers are your friend.
- Most of the time no one sees your mistakes, they know it just works.
- Perfection isn’t always necessary. Sometimes, functionality is more important.
- Procrastination delays success.
Don’t let perfection or fear of failure get in the way of success. Stop making excuses and start being successful.
Till next time, have a great day!
