Everything is Almost Perfect Here

I had an epiphany this week that has motivated me through several tasks, which I want to share:  Done is better than perfect!

Pareto's principle tells us that 80% of our results are produced by 20% of our efforts.  So within that 20% of effort, what is the difference between almost-perfect, and almost-almost perfect?   For me, quite a bit of time and procrastination - not necessarily improvement.  I don't think of myself as a perfectionist, since I don't really ever think there is a state of 'perfect.'  I do constantly doubt the done-ness of my work - and am always trying to raise the bar, thought - maybe there's a bit of perfectionism in there somewhere, driving me crazy.

This week I've been working on learning to back off and be satisfied with the second or third draft, as opposed to tweaking and re-tweaking and waiting until the morning to re-read and re-tweak.  Done is much better than perfect! It's a bit nerve-wracking for me, but the relief of being able to check the task off of my list is so much better than the weight of having it continue to hang over my head.

So for now, I'm adopting the mantra, and we'll see if it continues to drive forward momentum.

Getting Acquainted With the Edge

There has been a lot of spring/summer construction in Boulder County over the past couple of months, which has resulted in a lot of extra traffic. All of the major roads we could take to get into town have some project in the works, and I have started to add an additional 5-10 minutes to my commute times knowing that I will encounter the neon vests standing at the side of the road with the Stop sign on a stick, and end up in a line of cars waiting to pass. (Not an easy feat for someone who serially runs 5 minutes late!)

Because of this, I've spent more time than usual stuck in my little car, frustrated with everything around me that is out of my control. NPR can only distract me for so long before my mind continues creating what-if scenarios that have little chance of ever becoming a reality, but have a very powerful impact on the ball of panic that grows so easily in my chest when my imagination takes over. Did I mention that my air conditioning needs to be re-charged, so I've been experiencing this with my windows down, trying to sweat as little as possible as June's dry 90's circulates through the vehicle?

I've been trying to use this time to practice accepting the fact that I can control very little! I've been focusing on the moment, appreciating natural beauty of the Boulder trees that line the roads and the spectacular clouds that decorate the Colorado blue skies. I've been trying to arrest the physical sensations that accompany my anxiety with breathing mantras and EFT tapping, and have been able to successfully bring my attention back to the present moment. The deep breathing relieves my muscle tension, and the tapping points have an immediate impact on my physical condition, in the best way. No more panic-induced adrenaline coursing through me, no more frustrated resentful energy blasting at the poor guy holding the stop sign. No more apologizing for things I can't change.

This approach has led me to more easily let life happen as it progresses, and now when I get stopped where Valmont becomes one lane, I'm grateful for the minute or two I have to relax and center myself.