The big misconception is that the alternative to perfection is failure. Mercifully, life isn’t binary; it exists on a spectrum. On one side, we have the unattainable: perfection. On the opposite side, we find the unavoidable: chaos. All of the beauty that exists in the world hangs in the balance.
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When you’re really stuck or out of ideas, it usually means that you’ve lost perspective. You may no longer be able to see a way forward because you’re too close to the subject. To regain some perspective, it can help to temporarily disengage your mind by focusing on something else. To that end, we’ll create what I like to call a break-sprint.

Pragmatic Programmer
by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas. The authors tell the story of a developer who solves problems in their code by explaining them line by line to a rubber duck. Yes, I’m talking about the small yellow bath toy.
We’re apt to lose our objectivity when we’re spinning our wheels. By explaining a problem in detail to someone (or something) else, we’re forced to change our perspective, viewing it from above, so to speak, and not from the depths of whatever mental hole we’ve dug ourselves into.
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Life is full of dragons. The longer they live, the bigger they become, feeding off our misfortunes, resentments, and sense of helplessness. Stare them down. Look directly into their big, terrible eyes. There, you will see your own reflection. Our challenges are mirrors, exposing our vulnerabilities, insecurities, weaknesses, and fears. As hard as it may be, don’t turn away. See them, examine them, meet your fears with curiosity, and you will discover a way forward.

By identifying what is out of our control and letting go, we can reclaim our attention and reinvest it into the things that are. Focus

Mark Twain once wrote, “I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.”
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Worry has a way of holding our attention hostage. This is especially true for things we can’t control due to the elevated level of uncertainty. We

According to them, we can’t control the world around us, nor
the people in it. It’s our futile resistance to this truth that can leave us frustrated, devastated, or at a total lost. For example, when we seek the approval or acknowledgment of others as reward for our efforts, more often than not we’re left wanting or downright angry and confused when we don’t get what we’re looking for. Why are we feeling so bad? Because we’ve set an expectation for something that isn’t in our control.

Celebrating small wins can produce dramatic improvements in our self-perception and attitude. We tend to ruminate over all the things we got wrong, unaware of or ignoring all the things we got right. By celebrating our accomplishments, we’re forcing ourselves to acknowledge our abilities and witness the proof that we can contribute. It shifts our attitude away from “How am I going to get all of this done?” to “Look at all the things I’ve done! I’ve got this.” The
fear of failure will find less purchase in your mind. This is not a self-indulgence. It’s an intentional means to build momentum, optimism, and resilience.

The next time you cross off a Task in your BuJo, slow down. Take a moment to pause and reflect on the impact of your accomplishment. What do you feel? If by chance you feel nothing—or maybe nothing but relief—then chances are the thing you’re working so diligently toward isn’t adding much value to your life. That’s a critical insight that needs to be recognized. If on the other hand you feel even a small sense of joy, pride, appreciation, or fulfillment, then you may be onto something.

us all.
In the meditative tradition of mindfulness, we’re taught to bring our attention into the moment. Be it doing the dishes, brushing our teeth, or standing in the checkout line, we’re fully there, cultivating our ability to be present. A common misconception about meditation is that it’s about getting rid of thoughts. Rather, mindfulness helps distance yourself from them. A helpful metaphor shared by one of my teachers was that if thoughts were cars, meditation helps us stand on the side of the road rather than getting stuck in traffic.
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