I am not a perfectionist.
And I honestly don’t believe people who say that they are.
I think those people are selective in what they consider worthy of their so-called perfectionism.
A perfectionist would make sure absolutely everything about their life was optimal including nutrition, fitness, parenting, relationships, time management, creativity, housekeeping, etc.
Honestly, that sounds horrible.
I think we pick and choose our “perfectionism” to justify our black-belt level of procrastination.
And I most definitely identify as a black-belt procrastinator.
Some of it stems from the fact that sometimes I just don’t want to do what needs to be done.
Like housework – there’s nothing about housework that I enjoy.
But I also know I find it easier to relax when my environment is reasonably clean and organized, so there is some visible motivation.
Creative procrastination may have a less visible impact on my life, but it also results in less personal satisfaction.
I have avoided putting some of my creative ideas “out there” because I wasn’t sure if they were good enough. Some people are so incredibly creative, so amazing, and my own ideas felt pathetically amateurish.
Waiting until I had a higher level of skill, or better content, seemed like the safer, smarter option.
At least that’s what I told myself as I continued to do nothing.
Then Jordan Syatt (Syatt Fitness) said something that rattled the windows of the procrastination cage I had locked myself inside.
“Treat everything you do as an experiment. Start with a hypothesis (an idea) and then test it and make adjustments based on the testing you do.”
It was a thousand-watt lightbulb moment for me.
It doesn’t need to be a great idea; it just has to be an idea.
Through testing, adjusting, and retesting, the chance to make it something great is plausible.
But only if the process of experimenting actually begins.
How is procrastinating holding you back?
Are you waiting until you are in better shape to go to the gym?
Or maybe you are waiting for the best nutrition plan before you start eating better?
Perhaps you are waiting until you can paint like Rembrandt or bend it like Beckham?
What would happen if you just started with a simple hypothesis?
You throw it out there and then test it, adjust it, and re-test it to give yourself the best possible chance to do something great with your ideas, your creativity, and your life.
As an enthusiastic experiment.
