"Cadence"
In Tandem Coaching's Newsletter
Web: http://www.InTandemCoaching.com
Email: mailto:JoanneH@intandemcoaching.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/intandem
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note from Joanne
Hello %$firstname$%
As an introvert, I am not a fan of big crowds, large
social events, or most networking functions. However I
do realize that if I want to have a successful
business, I need to get my name and offerings “out
there.” This newsletter is one way I market myself;
my website and blog are others (and yes I occasionally
go to local networking events). In the future I plan
to do some public speaking as well.
I practice what I preach – which is to focus on my
strengths and to ask myself what I want to do, rather
than what I should do. That means, for now, I am
focusing on my online presence. What this means for
you is that you will soon see some changes from In
Tandem Coaching – I’m getting a professional logo
designed, along with website banner and other
marketing material. I want to have a professional,
consistent, online presence. Expect to see these
changes in the next month or two.
I’ve been thinking about my tag line also. I want it
to reflect that I serve the unique needs of
Introverts. I could use some suggestions here; chime
in if you want to!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Feature Article
Answer 8 Questions to Break Free from Perfectionism
and Get It Done
I have a not-so-surprising confession to make: I’m a
perfectionist. If my correspondence is any indication,
many introverts share this trait (and I suspect many
extroverts as well).
Perfectionism serves us in many ways: it motivates us
to make our best effort; it results in high-quality,
accurate work; it fuels our self-esteem (who wants to
think of herself as mediocre?). However, there are
also many ways in which perfectionism does not serve
us: it prevents us from completing (or sometimes
starting) a project; it sets us up for failure
(because the “perfect” result is never attained) –
which then damages our self-esteem. So there you have
it: perfectionism can be a double-edged sword that
simultaneously helps and hurts our self-esteem. This
is one reason we find it so hard to “let go” of our
perfectionist tendencies – we may be aware of the
downside, but we don’t want to lose the upside.
So what’s a conflicted introvert to do? My
recommendations (I have used these for myself with
moderate success):
* Recognize that perfection is an ideal, not
necessarily an attainable goal.
* Keep the desire for the ideal, but drop the
insistence on it (i.e. make it a want, not a need).
* Stop beating yourself up for being a perfectionist –
it probably helped you get where you are today.
* At the same time, stop using perfectionism as an
excuse to not start or complete something (yeah it
feels uncomfortable, but it gets easier with
practice).
* Distinguish between doing your best (which is within
your control) and doing a perfect job (which may not
be within your control).
OK, so you want to stop using perfectionism as an
excuse, but you still can’t seem to get things done. I
did not really address the “how” of changing what is
probably a well- established habit for you. Here is
where your introvert processing comes in handy: try
reasoning your way to a new behavior. The next time
you are faced with a project you can’t begin, or can’t
complete because you want it to be “perfect,” set
aside some thinking time and ask yourself the
following questions:
1. How will I know this is perfect? (What objective
measure can I use?)
2. Can I make it perfect in the time allotted to this
task/project?
3. What’s the worst that could happen if I release my
imperfect product/creative effort/report?
4. Is this the best I can do right now?
5. What can I improve upon next time?
6. What can I learn from exposing my imperfect effort
to others?
7. What benefit will others get from my imperfect
effort?
8. What am I avoiding by withholding until everything
is perfect?
Answering these questions will help you clarify your
own boundaries for how much/how long you are willing
to work on something before you declare it finished.
Having identified a specific stopping point gets you
out of the stuck-zone of endless “perfecting” cycles.
At the very least, you will gain some insight into
what’s really holding you back. Chances are it’s not
perfectionism per se, but whatever your perfectionism
is protecting you from.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joanne Recommends
Need some extra help with overcoming your
perfectionism? My Road Test coaching package is a
short-term (one month) introductory level service.
Available for new clients only. For more info, send me
an email at mailto:JoanneH@intandemcoaching.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Success Made Simple (SMS) Tip
Focus on your strengths – remember, no one is good at
everything. Your weaknesses are someone else’s
strengths – so partner with others whose skills
compliment yours, or delegate or outsource.
If you want to improve upon a skill for the pleasure
of learning, then do so. But save your energy and time
for mastery on those skills where you already have a
natural talent.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ask the Coach
Do you have a burning question I can help you with?
Click here to Ask the Coach
mailto:JoanneH@intandemcoaching.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joanne's Hype-Free Zone
A blogger’s take: 10 Steps to Conquer Perfectionism
http://tinyurl.com/qc8ykt
Perfectionism Test offered by Psychology Today. You
get a score from 0 to 100 at no charge; optional paid
report goes into more detail. If you are already
aware that you are a perfectionist, the basic score
does not give you much new information, except perhaps
to quantify how extreme you are (or are not). I was
curious about the paid report, but not curious enough
to part with my hard-earned funds – so I can’t give
you feedback on the paid portion of the test.
http://tinyurl.com/yrzva6
Cadence grows by "word of email" so please feel free
to forward this newsletter onto anyone who you think
might enjoy it.
http://www.yourtellafriend.com/page/1457/tellafriend
Thanks so much!