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Category: Living Well

Overplanning Mixed With Perfectionism

As a creator, I live with this oftentimes debilitating mixture of overplanning mixed with perfectionism.

And when I imagine the things I want to create… I get stuck in the imagining phase because I can’t quite get the planning perfectly in order in my mind.

And so I keep looping and circling over problems and solutions and details and minutiae until I feel like I’ve nailed it—and it’s only then that I’ll begin.

And while a big part of my journey has been about learning how to begin before I was perfectly ready… another part has been about learning how to honor this desire to create things of quality.

Because while, yes, it’s important to learn how to get unstuck and bring the imaginings within your head to life… it’s also important to honor your innate desire to produce things up to a high standard.

This is what’s meant when people say sometimes your greatest weakness is your greatest strength and vice versa.

The mission right now isn’t to lower my creator standards or blur my imaginings of what I want things to look like… it’s to simply measure my progress based on what I’ve been able to get out of my head and into reality.

…Because each time I’m able to do that successfully—I’m one step closer to the most evolved version of my overplanned, “perfect” creation.

Complex And Multi-Faceted Glory

An associate was telling me how her partner is on vacation this week and she’s stuck caring for the kids, doing the chores, and essentially managing several complex and multi-faceted lives.

What was interesting to me was that, not too long ago, we were on a work trip with the opportunity to turn part of it into a vacation—and she opted to go home early… to get back to her kids and all of the complex and multi-faceted.

And so many times in life, isn’t this the case?

We simply continue to want what we currently don’t have…

When we’re home we want to be on vacation and when we’re on vacation we want to be home.

When we’re single we want to be in a relationship and when we’re in a relationship we want to be single.

When we’re building something we want to be done and when we’re done we want to be building something.

That is… until we can learn to appreciate fully where we are. The place we only dread because we’re not seeing through the right perspective. The very place that countless others would kill to be in. The place that we would probably kill to be back in if life took a drastic turn for the worse.

…Let’s be where we are today. Here. In all of today’s complex and multi-faceted glory.


P.s. This book helped me appreciate the power of being present more than any other I’ve read so far. Maybe it’ll help you too?

A Useful Inner Work Prompt For When You’ve Made A Wrong Turn

“A step backwards after making a wrong turn is a step in the right direction.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut

Have you made a wrong turn in your health and fitness journey? What might taking a step backwards look like?

Have you made a wrong turn in your relationship(s)? What might taking a step backwards look like?

Have you made a wrong turn in your life’s direction? What might taking a step backwards look like?

And so forth.

In any area of your life… if you’ve made a wrong turn… ask yourself, “What might taking a step backwards look like?”

Shorts Only

While walking on the beach today, a little boy—maybe 6 years old—came sprinting past me, dressed more for his first day of school than he was the California coast, and headed straight for the water.

He was challenging the crashing waves to catch him as he followed the retreating water along the sand until the next wave came rushing in and up the shoreline.

It wasn’t long after that I caught a glimpse of him again and he was down to shorts only. His grandparents were carrying his shoes, socks, shirt, and all of the cares he had for his belongings. All so that he could simply play… and challenge… and be.

If you’re having a hard time being playful and having fun and letting go, maybe try going somewhere that pulls it out of you. If it feels forced—like you’re trying to push against a heavy resistance—it might not be you as much as it is the environment you’re in.

Good Actions

“Somebody should take all of this extra food to homeless people and/or local shelters.”

“Absolutely” I said.

“Would you like me to help you load some of it up into your car?” I continued.

“Oh, no.” She replied. “I don’t want to be the person to do that. I just think it’s a good idea.”


There’s certainly no shortage of good ideas.

Having good ideas isn’t ever really the issue.

It’s being the one who’s ready to take good actions.

Fill Your Life With Cliff Hangers

In the same way that a good book leaves you wondering at the end of a chapter or a good TV series leaves you pretending not to know what time it really is so you can stay up just a little later to watch just one more episode…

…Fill your life with cliff hangers.

Those creative projects you’re working on? Stop before you’re finished and/or keep expanding on what you’ve already built.

Those interesting/wonderful people who bring out the best in you? Keep initiating and accepting invitations—even if it’s just for a short visit. Never underestimate what any amount of time spent with interesting/wonderful people can do for the plot of your story.

Those travel destinations and worldly experiences that make you giddy? Keep confirming plans for them. You should always have something you can look forward to booked in your calendar.

Fill your tomorrows with excitement, wonder, and unsatisfied curiosity.

…Make your life the TV show you can’t seem to stop watching or the book you just can’t seem put down.

IRL World

When I was a kid, I used to play football in the street, basketball in driveways, and wrestle—WWE style—on front lawns. And knew it was time to go home when the streetlights came on.

Nobody had a cell phone. Nobody had a tablet. And we were too busy IRL to really care about video games.

Fences, stairs, and stoops were our playgrounds. Gravity, concrete, and cooperation were our teachers. And it was the whole neighborhood who raised us.

I wouldn’t trade this upbringing for anything. But know that times have changed. With screens galore and billions being poured into keeping us glued to them… there has never been a bigger need for initiatives that lead us into the IRL.

…And somebody needs to lead.

My plea with today’s post is simple: what’s something you can start that’s off screen? Who can you involve that would love to help? How can we give this new generation a taste of what it’s like to really live in this IRL world?