Adulting Feels Hard

Perfectionism is the bane of my existence. 

When I was a kid I took the same level of swim lessons for multiple summers in a row. The teacher was totally ready to graduate me to the next level yet I was like “no no no I haven’t mastered this level yet I must be a guppy for one more summer. I am not ready to become a shark.”

I was too scared to leave the familiar place.  

I'm not a sprinter, I like to take my time with things. I want to observe, understand my surroundings, feel safe, and then take action. Except taking action feels like the hardest thing in the world to do.

Right now I need to update my website because I’ve rebranded myself as The Boundaries Coach. I could map out an outline and then put it up on my website, instead my thoughts go to “I should really finish that copy course I bought years and years and years and years and years ago before I update my website because then my copy will be better and the words will land and that'll be better overall.” Have I logged into the course in all the weeks (ahem, months) that I’ve been thinking about it? Um, no. 

Why not? Because I know it will take hours to finish the course and that feels like too much time, I just want to have the knowledge in my head already and stamp my foot like an impatient 3 year old to make it happen. 

I’m stuck in a procrastination-perfectionism loop! Gah! 

How do I get out of this procrastination-perfectionism loop? 

By taking small (microscopic) steps that feel doable and doing a mini-celebration after each one. That will retrain my brain that it’s safe to take action. 

This isn’t a wave a magic wand and it’s fixed kinda thing, this is a slow process and it’s essential to be patient (with myself) and to remind myself that I’m human and sh*t happens. 

What’s my first microscopic step? 

Telling you that I’m taking action, it’s like you're my accountability buddy. 

My second step?

I’ll brainstorm an outline for my new website by the end of this week. I’ll create it during my morning journaling time, likely on Thursday or Friday. 

My third step? 

I’ll share a photo of my brainstorm in next week’s post. I do not make any promises on legibility or clarity. It will be a draft, I give myself permission for it to be messy AND it only needs to make sense to me. 

What about you?

Journaling Prompt: What’s got you stuck in the procrastination-perfectionism loop? 

Comment to this post and share with me. I can be your accountability buddy too. 

P.S. If you know where you’re stuck in the procrastination-perfection loop, but the thought of figuring out your first step has you breaking out in hives or hiding under the covers, then private coaching is the thing for you. I’m booking clients for January and February and have only a few spots left. 

In private coaching I’ll be your sounding board, accountability buddy, and outside perspective to get you thinking clearly, taking action, and understanding why you procrastinated in the first place. (Knowing the why unlocks so many doors in your head!)

Book a free consultation to get started. 

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