Have you ever started a project, only to get stuck at a certain part because things weren't turning out quite the way you originally intended?
Or have you started a project and got to a part where things stalled because the next step seemed so minor, so easy to just do at some point, that you never got around to actually doing it?
Or been working on a project, got to a decision point, and things stalled because you couldn't decide on a direction to go?
A while ago, I heard someone mention that the three P's that hold people back are perfectionism, procrastination, and paralysis from analysis. When I heard this, I was struck by both the simplicity, and the truth, to that saying. I've definitely found myself being afflicted by each of those phenomena.
Perfectionism
It seems there is this kind of social pressure that when we put something out, it has to not only be 100% right, but it also has to be polished. I think part of this comes from our own view of things, where we see other people completing projects and looking successful, and it gives us this impression that they have it all together. Maybe that is true for a very select few people, but for the most part - people are their own harshest critic.
This blog is a good example, for me personally. I'd been wrestling for a couple years in how to go about jotting down all these interesting (to me) thoughts. I went through multiple iterations of how to go about doing it, but kept running into obstacles, or started losing motivation because it wasn't happening smoothly. Eventually, my coach told me to write posts that were 500 words (no more) in length, and not to worry about it being 'right'. That was like the dam bursting open. Suddenly it was a whole lot easier to just pick a topic, write a short bit about it, and take on the attitude that this is all just practice. It's not perfect, but that is OK, because that is not the point.
Procrastination
I find that there are two types of procrastination - the kind that keeps people from starting something, and the kind that is found in longer, more complex projects. The first is obviously resolved just by getting started, but the second is more subtle. In larger, more complex projects, some tasks have little to no visible evidence of forward progress. It's really easy to put that project aside and do something more sexy or flashy on another project that does have a visible result. Meanwhile, that first project stalls, details get forgotten, and it can easily become an albatross just because no one wanted to do the 30 minutes of grunt work needed to complete the task or bring things to a solid checkpoint of progress where it's easy to pick up from.
Paralysis From Analysis
Sometimes, you are presented with multiple options, and there's no real obvious best course of action. Or, you have multiple options, and one is significantly more challenging, and you have to weigh effort vs end result.
For example, earlier this year, my wife and I decided to redo our garden raised beds. I initially wanted to use composite boards, because I didn't want to replace boards in 10 years due to rot. However, once I looked into it, there were several negative factors coming up such as desired size availability, sourcing, and general logistics of acquisition. I spent a few weeks hemming and hawing on what to do, before I realized it was September, and that if I didn't act soon, I'd miss out on being able to get them in this year. So, I ended up making my decision that day to forego composite, and haven't looked back. I just needed a nudge to get out of a paralysis situation. Sometimes, a decision just has to be made.
Sometimes we are held back by external forces, but I find that the three P's above (and their potential variants) represent the vast majority of reasons why we may fail to progress in our endeavors.
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