Fighting perfection pressure as a family

Perfection impedes progress. Perfection ties us down and limits creativity. Things never get started because of perfection. Things never get done because of perfection. Perfection is a procrastinator’s best excuse.

But. Society pushes perfection onto us from a very young age. do this. Do that, do it right or not at all.

My children want to create an online presence. Kid K has been asking me for a mic, web cam, soundproofing, and other accessories that will add up tremendously. I’m glad that he has done research, however this giant list of things is his reasoning for not getting started. He thinks that even just starting requires the perfect set up with soundproofing and the best equipment.

I asked him about proof of concept and return on investment and he looked at me and asked “what are you talking about? These are the things my favorite people use on youtube.”

“Well that’s great, but if you want to get started then just get started with what you have. Our computer has a webcam and so does your phone. Our computer has a built in microphone and so does your phone. Why not just start? Then when your idea starts getting followers and so on, you can buy these things because you know that people will listen or watch you.”

He still hasn’t started. But, I thought about it and realized that his arguments are similar to mine. I can’t write because I need a new notebook so that all my thoughts are in one place. I also need new colored pens. Then by the time I go out and buy all these things I have forgotten what I wanted to write about because I was too busy thinking about and worrying about the things I need to do something instead of just doing the thing.

So, how do we combat this? The first step we are taking as a family is to Just. Do. The. Thing. The kids and I have thought about this blog for a while now. We wanted a place to share stories and where we could write or create together. But we all hesitated because we needed to get pictures done, we needed to create graphics, we needed to create content, we needed to make a Facebook page and Instagram, and so on and so on. I hesitated because I figured I could come up with a better name.

But guess what? I can buy a new domain if we come up with a better one. We can add pictures and graphics later. We can create social media pages later. Let’s just do the thing. So, here is the thing. We got started. This worry of perfection is no longer impairing our website going live.

But this is just one thing. How do we continue? I have to be a better model for my family. Instead of worrying about the perfect notebook and awesome pens, I need to just write. When it comes to other things in life, I need to just do the things instead of overthinking the things.

I need to encourage my children to do the same. Just do the thing. If you want to record, Kid K, just record. It doesn’t have to go live, but you have something to show for your ideas.

So, my goal for the week and coming weeks is to Just do the thing. Regardless of what the thing is, if it needs to be done or if I want to have it done – Just. Do. The. Thing.