Re:How do you deal with perfectionism?
by Terr_ on Wednesday April 03, 2024 @11:28PM
(#39926241)
1. My own "perfectionism" is really a fear of being negatively judged or shamed, not any kind of measurable quality in the output. This means the issue is my own emotional state, which can't be changed by any amount of dithering over the work-product itself.
2. Deliberately set out to write a draft or prototype with the intent that you throw it away. (If future-you decides to publish it instead, that's their problem, now-you just has to start.)
3. Ask yourself what the minimum-viable-product is for your message or set of findings, and remind yourself that you're allowed to make edits or revisions or footnotes later if people express interest.
4. [More generally for procrastination] Set an alarm to work on some task for just 5 minutes. Future-you might discover they have more traction than predicted and work past the alarm, but now-you just hsa to start.
2. Deliberately set out to write a draft or prototype with the intent that you throw it away. (If future-you decides to publish it instead, that's their problem, now-you just has to start.)
3. Ask yourself what the minimum-viable-product is for your message or set of findings, and remind yourself that you're allowed to make edits or revisions or footnotes later if people express interest.
4. [More generally for procrastination] Set an alarm to work on some task for just 5 minutes. Future-you might discover they have more traction than predicted and work past the alarm, but now-you just hsa to start.