Favorite

When our oldest child was little, he often asked, “Is this your favorite?” He asked any time he wanted us to try something. We were always honest. We would reply, “It’s not my favorite…” and then clarify what we liked or didn't.

When we asked him to try things, he would simply reply, “It’s not my favorite.” Many years later, we learned that when he said, “It’s not my favorite,” he meant that he disliked it. It became a running joke around our house. When we do not like something, we politely say, “It’s not my favorite.”

We unintentionally created a situation where a thing was his favorite, or he didn’t like it at all. I find myself in a similar trap with my work. It is perfect or not complete.

Some very important work does deserve fuller attention and effort. However, I tend to overuse this deferral technique. If I know I won’t be able to do something perfectly, then I avoid doing it at all. Further, I will avoid working on stuff that I’d rather not do at all. I get stuck either putting off starting until I can finish it perfectly or putting off starting because “I don’t wanna.”

Perfectionism is procrastination. Sometimes, good enough is more than enough. Sometimes, just starting is sufficient to get going. Like ripping a bandage, the fastest way to do something I don’t wanna is to just get after it.

Can I do the work that’s not my favorite? Will I invest the attention something deserves right now? Do I differentiate between that which deserves the most and ensure it gets the most?

Be curious, be kind, be whole, do good things.