I will admit it, I am a pretty competitive person. Not with others, but with myself and it’s not always pretty. Perhaps, it is not as much competitiveness as it is a tendency toward perfectionism.
And I don’t say this with pride or bravado. Perfectionism isn’t always a happy place to live, but good enough is not good enough for me. It’s probably why I don’t endeavor in projects like building stuff.
Perfectionism, while in some sense a positive trait, is also a sure-fire way of never being happy. Perfect is an idea, an ideal and a barrier, especially in this stage of life. As I endeavor to reclaim a part of my musical life, I am trying to be ok with “better.”
I ask myself a ton of questions, like:
Why am I doing this?
Why is this important?
How can I find joy in this activity?
Can this be fun or interesting?
Honestly, I have to fight with myself sometimes to keep me out of the mindset of having to find mastery. I have become a big fan of sticky notes on my computer screen with words like, “have fun” “experience the journey” and “breathe.”
It’s so easy to fall back into old habits, but I think this new mindset is worth the effort.
What about you? Do you fight perfectionism? How do you wage the war?
