Playful over perfect

I confess to not editing this post too much. Mostly because it has been a long time since I have been stewing about a variety of topics to write about and yet I wrote zilch. I know, it's the editing and the over thinking but one incident really stuck deep: I heard  the popular Youtuber and blogger Saloni Srivatsava say very candidly " No, I am not a perfectionist." 

I know many of us want that tag of being one. I have been striving for that for a very long time. And it is a worthwhile tag to have in all honesty but especially since we see the results of a perfectionist's work rather the process and the grind that goes into it. By that, what I mean is: We don't necessarily see the toll of what being a perfectionist does to a person. In my opinion, with two perfectionists at home, I confess to hate being around them while I work or when they are working: it is a severe severe one. And this is no means a post to discourage people from doing their best, again if you see Saloni's work, for example, you can understand how lovely it is. [ https://www.salonisrivastava.com/ ]Another incident which has sparked off this conflict in my head is when I read Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird where she writes about how perfectionism is the "voice of the oppressor" I understand how conflicted we feel when we have not given our 100% to every job and keep at it till exhausted, I just feel that there is a way to give it out 100% without having to collapse. So how do we go about it? 

For me, it comes from the fact that I think of every project as a beginning rather than an end in itself. So yes, this post will have mistakes and that extra long sentence that you wished would just end (!) But I know I also will write more and hopefully get better. The saying quality over quantity actually doesn't apply here, the better analogy is to think of training that sports people undertake. No, Serena Williams did not overnight become a sensation, pretty sure she trains everyday without resting on the laurels of her achievements. So yes, let's value quantity- the number of times we do a task and then hopefully we are tired enough not to bother about the results(just kidding) No, what I mean is keep the focus on the process as well as the product - ask the question - am I really enjoying this? Is this relevant? Am I taking on tasks because they seem difficult? Do I really need to sacrifice my food, sleep and rest for getting this done? 

In no way, am I encouraging being lazy and not being accountable, all I am saying is "Do your best" should not result in the absolute worst for your mind, body and also to those around you. Perfectionism also takes a very heavy toll on those around you. We will have that one dream projects where we will be ready to sacrifice every thing, but let's also remember that there are ways to strike a healthy balance and that one does not have to come at the cost of another. Hard work does not mean that we need to struggle every single day. Work in such a manner that there is enough joy to doing it.

Let us be playful rather than perfect. I think the picture perfectly caught that. On an ordinary day, I would hesitate to put this one (I am the one with the red blouse) but there is no hiding the joy that my cousin and I are sharing. I haven't seen a better photo of ours in the last 25 years.