How to Become an Imperfectionist

I received a newsletter in my email today that really struck a chord. It was about perfectionism - that rotten quality that masquerades itself as the pursuit of excellence, when in fact it is just the opposite. I like this take on becoming deliberately imperfect so much, that I'm just going to let you read Christine Kane's article for yourself:

What's an Imperfectionist?

• An Imperfectionist knows that getting something done is better than waiting to do it perfectly.
• An Imperfectionist knows that being a Perfectionist is simply an excuse NOT to take action.
• An Imperfectionist congratulates herself for taking small steps.
• An Imperfectionist buys herself flowers when she accomplishes something - even if it's not quite up to her ego's high standards.
• An Imperfectionist knows that getting a scary thing done IS the reward. Not the kudos or adoration.

You Might Need to Become an Imperfectionist if...

• You tell yourself you need to get "just a little more information" before you'll try something.
• You have a case of the "Used-to-Be's." ("I used to be so good at this!" Or "I used to be so thin!" Or, "I used to write everyday and now look...")
• Your mantra to the world is: "I'm just so overwhelmed! There's too much to do! It's so hard to be me!"
• You call friends and co-workers to get sympathy for how hard it is to accomplish your goals and dreams. They often agree, citing how special you are because you have been given so much talent - and how it must be quite a burden.
• You spend more than one hour per day on Facebook, watching television, or not fully engaging in other addictive activities.
• At the end of every year, you wonder why you never seem to move any further towards your dreams.
• You are waiting for your POTENTIAL to finally kick in.

Why Becoming an Imperfectionist Makes You Successful and Happy

• Being an Imperfectionist is an Intention. 
• When you become an Imperfectionist, you finally recognize your ego voice exactly for what it is: Your own personal Success Prevention Expert.
• When you become an Imperfectionist, you finally realize how many Success Prevention Experts exist in the world.
• When you become an Imperfectionist, you lower the bar - or better yet, remove it altogether. You can then create in the moment without any grade or standard. Ironically, this allows for such freedom and joy that you might end up doing a great job. (Or at least having a great time!)
• When you become an Imperfectionist, you place your attention on the project or activity itself. You don't waste it on obsessing about the outcome. (This paradoxically leads to a higher chance of greatness, and a definite outcome of happiness!)
• When you become an Imperfectionist, you get things done imperfectly. You then learn that you can tweak and fix and try again. This process makes you Unstoppable.
• When you become an Imperfectionist, you finally understand that there are no mistakes. Just judgments.
• Becoming an Imperfectionist doesn't mean you don't eventually master your craft or calling - but that's not the starting goal.

How to Become an Imperfectionist

1 - Imperfectly pick one thing you keep telling yourself you want to do.

2 - If you read #1 and think, "I can't possibly pick just one! There's too many!" then do not proceed until you have picked just one.

3 - Get a timer, and set it to 55 minutes.

4 - Walk away from your computer right now and spend 55 minutes doing that very activity.

5 - Repeat #4 again tomorrow.

6 - Repeat #4 again every day after that until the item is complete.

7 - Celebrate the item's completion with chocolate, flowers, or a manicure.

8 - Go back to #1 and start over.

So what's #1 on your list?

Christine Kane is the Mentor to Women Who are Changing the World. She helps women uplevel their lives, their businesses and their success. Her weekly LiveCreative eZine goes out to over 20,000 subscribers. If you are ready to take your life and your world to the next level, you can sign up for a F.R.E.E. subscription at http://christinekane.com.