I’d like to think of myself as being committed to excellence. I want everything that I produce to be the very best that it could possibly be. But somewhere in my pursuit of quality work I run into that most dreaded of all mind games: perfectionism. It’s a killer. It can manifest itself in so many ways, but most often I see it wreak havoc in my writing process. There is nothing quite as crippling as having such an intense desire to do well on something that it overwhelms you and shuts down the entire process. When I start planning to write something, whether it’s a huge paper for an English class or even something as simple as a tweet or Facebook status, I freeze. Even as I sit here right now, I’m having a hard time putting anything down because I’m so afraid of producing something that’s a bit more lackluster than I’d like. It’s as if something in my head is holding me back, insisting that I’ll never live up to my own expectations, that my writing will never make any sense to anyone or that it’s all just a huge waste of time.
Some might argue that perfectionism is a great motivator. After all, that drive towards excellence is just the kick in the pants some people need. Maybe so, for some people. Personally, I think it does the exact opposite. Perfectionism suffocates. It debilitates. It silences the muse within a mind striving to articulate. When you allow perfectionism to be the loudest voice in your head, communication becomes impossible. All you can think about is how there is no way that you’ll ever produce anything that will do your subject justice. You tell yourself that you’ll never be able to really get your point across. Then you find that the very thing about which you are so passionate becomes your biggest stumbling block. How’s that for irony?
If you allow that voice of perfectionism to overpower you and convince you not to write, you’re allowing it to rob not only you, but so many other people. It might even seem like an act of nobility to allow such meticulousness to silence you before you even begin, but let me assure you that it’s not. No one should sacrifice an opportunity to share their insight on a particular interest or passion, just as no one should have to miss out on a chance to hear from others. But when perfectionism cuts you off, that’s exactly what happens.
If I’ve learned anything during my time in school working with professors and fellow writers, it’s that you need to stop all that nonsense. Just breathe and start communicating — and trust me, I’m preaching this to myself just as much as I am to you. Allow others to interact with your expression of your personality and your interests. Show others your ideas. Explore and discover new work by others and seek to promote it — it’ll encourage others as they express themselves, too!
Don't keep it all to yourself. Inspire others by sharing what’s on your mind. Don’t let perfectionism shut you down.
