Day 41 - Season 1 - Perfectionists

[Linda Houle]

I can't remember when I decided I didn't have to be perfect. It must not have been one of those "AHA" moments - I think it was a gradual shift in perception.
That doesn't mean I'm a sloppy person. It just takes off some of the pressure to have everything I do be "perfect."
Now - how do I convince others that they don't have to be "perfect" in order to be happy and successful???
Linda

[Linda Houle]

I think in time the perfectionists I know will relax. If they don't they're going to give themselves high blood pressure! I have learned (through experience) not to make myself sick over "small" stuff.
Thanks for your input Sabine!
Linda

[Sabine]

Hmmm, I see what you mean. But I doubt that you can "convince" somebody to take a more relaxed attitude, since it is, as you described, a *gradual* shift in perception. The only idea I have at the moment is that you continue to be a happy and relaxed role model for them.

[Linda Houle]

I'm looking at it from a Publisher's point of view regarding authors and their books.
There comes a point when the edits are done, the proofing is done, and the book is in print.
After that, if a stray typo turns up - that's life!
Even if twenty people proof the book there will be typos that slip by.
Then there's the case of "I wish" - of course we can all wish we'd have been more experienced when we wrote our first book, and maybe the book would have been more "polished" - but we can't re-write and re-edit every published book over and over and over again... (not fiction anyway)
Some authors are sensitive to critics regarding their early work (or stray typos) - and I wish I could convince them that perfection is too high a goal for ANY of us!
Linda

[Sabine]

My first reaction was "You can't!" with a big grin in my face :-) But then I thought you might be asking that question from a professional point of view how to transfer your knowledge to, say, participants in a workshop. I that your idea?