Falling Forward: Mindset Monday
When is it that we become afraid to fall or fail?
I was much less fearful as a youth. I remember falling a lot when I was competing in hunter-jumper shows. I enjoyed riding any and every horse that I could. I did not fear the consequences of learning to connect with those beautiful creatures as we navigated the course or ran through the fields.
Moving out of my teens into my twenties and having increased responsibilities (college, grad school, etc.) I think the seeds of perfection or the need to be perfect +/- the fear of failure were planted.
It was not until I learned to "fail fast" that the bonds that had limited me were lifted and I began to experiment with life. It has been such a fantastic opportunity as I have subsequently embarked on adventures that, in the past, I would not have started.
Last week I was listening to "Ten Percent Happier" and heard Adam Grant discussing perfectionism and procrastination. How often have you procrastinated to start something out of fear of not being perfect? Remember, there is no perfection.
Marie Forleo tackles the same topic in her book "Everything is Figureoutable". If you have perfection paralysis, I would highly encourage you to read chapter 8 in the book. At the end of the chapter, Marie provides several reflective questions. I want to pose them here for you to consider as you start your week:
"As it relates to your dream or problem, what's one thing you're stopping yourself from exploring because you're not willing to be anything less than perfect?"
"Who might you become and what might you accomplish if you focused on progress not perfection?"
What's your Plan B? Plan C? This is my question, not Marie's :-) The point is that you need to think about the challenges you might encounter and plan for them in advance. The problems could originate with you, or they could be external to you, but being prepared is key.
Mindset Monday Takeaways
Progress, not perfection.
Be consistent.
Have a plan B (and C)
Find ways to turn your self-doubt into positive self-talk (those positive affirmations do work!!)
Have a wonderful week, Daphne
References
https://everythingisfigureoutable.com/
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