Less than perfect was just fine
Although many more steps were needed to complete difficult tasks and achieve goals, I didn’t mind. It wasn’t like extra work – actually, it was more enjoyable. I still had the tendency to demand perfection from myself, but I continued following the schedule I wanted, not what I felt I had to do.
At first, walking away from incomplete tasks drove me crazy. It was harder than I imagined. Eventually, it became easier – and once I began to work on my confidence and self esteem a little, it became very easy. Having the confidence to leave tasks unfinished was therapeutic in a way.
I also found that the quality of work improved overall. For large projects it was actually beneficial to take several days to complete. Each session was shorter so I had more energy to put into it. Of course some would argue that I would lose my concentration from day to day – maybe a little – but the good outweighed the bad.
So the theory behind the divide-by-two rule worked in two different ways: It forced me to get over my perfectionist habit, and it sliced up large or difficult tasks into more manageable and less intimidating pieces - Pieces that I looked forward to because they were easily completed This worked wonders for my motivation.
Keep in mind that this is not an effortless way to accomplish your goals, as I don’t think such a thing truly exists. However, it’s the best that I’ve tried.
My life had become less stressful because I learned to ignore the nagging guilt that there was something I had to finish. I had gotten over the need to either totally complete something, or not even start. I could start and not finish without that little voice calling me a quitter or a loser – At least this is what happened eventually. I had the confidence to carry on with life, even though I didn’t have all my “ducks in a row.” I can’t believe I just used that.
This approach, along with many others, would eventually provide the tools I needed to combat my SA.
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