Perfect.
This one word has prevented me from creating a blog until recently.
I have plenty of ideas. My experience as a Consultant, the research I have conducted on employee development and human motivation, and my own less-than-direct career path combine to create a pool of ideas that would be difficult to dry up during the hottest of summer months.
Even without these professional experiences, though, I would not be short on material.
The last time you met friends for drinks, how long did it take before the discussion turned to career drama or feelings of workplace discontent? If your conversations are anything like mine, I am thinking you didn’t even make it to the second beer.
My friends (like myself and like you) are in their twenties and this means they are struggling with issues regarding careers, jobs, work–life balance, expectations, education, and those darn layoffs.
I think about these topics everyday. While I often considered posting my thoughts, I never followed through. Why? I was working under the impression that perfect was the only option.
If my writing was not perfect, my grammar was not perfect, my ideas were not perfect, then the outcome would be less than perfect. That was not good enough.
Then I realized, after being affected by the most recent set of layoffs at my organization, that nothing is perfect. We are living, and trying to advance our careers, in an imperfect time.
While I do not condone taking shortcuts or settling for less than the best, I do think that there is something to be said for understanding how to do the best with what is in front of you.
If you find yourself in a job you do not love, do your best to make each day a productive experience (while you look for a better opportunity). If you have been laid off, keep moving ahead with an eye towards finding the next great opportunity. If you have difficulty finding the next great opportunity, consider that not every job will be, well, perfect, and think about what you can take from each experience.
So, am I right? Is perfection, at times, overrated?
I welcome any responses – no matter how imperfect.
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I struggle with trying to put my words down for academic papers because of the hypercritical nature of the "business." I spend far too much time worrying about little things rather than contributing my ideas. At the same time, so many people publish really bad work, and are making career advancements as a result. There needs to be a learned balance, one I'm not yet and may never realize perfectly. I'm for quality over quantity, because I want to be able to look back and be proud of the work I've done. Some outlets (including blogs, perhaps) are good places for less than perfect work. I think as long as people who read and write the material understand that information is a work in progress, and that no one will be attacked for their opinions or for mistakes, people can be produce good quality work. -Jason
ReplyDeleteI also struggle with perfection vs. just getting things done. I think that turns into procrastination for me. However, with my blog, I try to publish every once in a while, but only when I have something to say. I'll run a spellcheck and read over it once, but I figure people understand that blogs aren't meant to be perfect.
ReplyDeleteJason, thanks for your comment. I struggled with the same thing as I published work while in graduate school.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that eventually moved me away from academia is that the writing in academic papers needs to be, I think you would agree, less than reader friendly. I did research and presented ideas, but I was never sure who actually took the time to read the papers because of the scientific language that needs to be used to be published.
Thanks for your comment and good luck with your work.
Graduated Learning, thanks for your perspective. I am glad to hear that this does not need to be perfect. I can assure you it will not be, but I am hoping you read inspite of the imperfections :)
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