Pursuit of Perfection

By Da’Shika A. Street | Chief BABE

I once heard someone say if it was perfect when you launched it – you launched it too late. Now, let that sink in. I must admit, I have firsthand experience in doing a thing, refining the thing, and trying to iron out all the wrinkles before releasing it to the world. The truth is the pursuit of perfectionism is a lonely journey to an unreachable destination. Not only is it unattainable, but oftentimes, we miss several beautiful landmarks along the way. Life is constantly evolving and passing us by while we are stuck in one place trying to perfect one thing. It’s a trap!

It took me a little time to realize I had placed an unrealistic expectation of perfectionism on myself which happened to be the very thing holding me back from operating at my best. Now that I’m aware of what’s been holding me back, there’s no stopping me. When I find myself slipping down this slippery slope, I follow a few key steps to get me back on track.

Identify Your Triggers: I tend to spend exorbitant amounts of time assessing all possible outcomes of an idea or situation before simply moving forward with the idea. This is where I tend to get stuck. I have developed a few checkpoints that I use to help me move forward and continue flourishing from concept phase to execution of an idea. Dreamland: this space, also known as brainstorming, is where we welcome a flood of ideas and possibilities without restriction. When in dreamland, it’s a good idea to write down every idea or thought that comes to mind when thinking about the original concept. However, be careful not to get caught up daydreaming about all the splendor of the idea, all the people it’s going to serve, and how groundbreaking it is without just putting the idea in motion — as is. Checkpoint: Find what sticks out. After dreaming and jotting down the ideas, try circling the 3-5 ideas or thoughts that stick out the most and use those as the foundation for shaping the bigger picture.

Formatting: This is where you’ll want to crack open your journal or a Google Doc and get to work. When writing it out, it’s important to avoid planning for every possible outcome (if not, doubt and negative thoughts can creep in and stifle the breath out of your fresh idea). Allow yourself the freedom of getting a concise idea onto paper. It does not have to be perfect – it just needs to be set in motion. Checkpoint: Live in the moment. When we are in the moment, we tend to accept the freedom of thought, the freedom of action and the flexibility in accepting things as they are. It’s a space of little judgement and minimal reservation that opens us up to a world of endless possibilities (sometimes possibilities much greater than those that we had originally imagined). Embrace this space. Welcome it. Accept it. It’s in the moment that lasting impact is made.

Execution: What good is the plan if we fail to execute? Well, it’s still a good idea – but it may be one that will slip through the cracks if we don’t move on it. Too many times have I had an idea that I sat on only to discover that someone else released a similar thing. I find though, that this most often happens when I fail to effectively navigate through the project development phases that work best for me. To avoid this, we’ve got to execute those ideas, visions and dreams. They wouldn’t come to us if it weren’t meant for us to carry them out. When we sit on our golden nuggets, it’s as if we’re telling the universe ‘no thank you – you can give this to someone else.’

I don’t know about you, but I want ALL of my dreams to materialize. But I can only experience them, if I’m willing to put in the work to bring them to life.

No matter what, listen to your heart and do what works best for you. Dive deep and discover the things that are triggering complacency in your life and holding you back from reaching your fullest potential. Once you discover those things – flip the script. Use them as a basis to build a plan of attack and move forward in your greatness.

For more insight on how to get on track and bring your dreams and business to life, join the Official BABE Tribe; my online community where I provide entrepreneurs and fearless female leaders with business tools, tips, and resources to start, grow, and maintain healthy lives and businesses. www.officialbabemag.com