The Gifts of Total Crap
I’m a recovering perfectionist. And, honestly, I’m not even doing that very well! ?
I still constantly find myself caught up in perfectionistic desires. I would love everything to be glossy, magazine perfect, from my business Instagram posts to setting the table.
Yes, it’s exhausting and overwhelming to be inside my head when I’m in this perfectionism mindset. Sadly, it also hinders my productivity, confidence and happiness.
Perfectionism often comes with an all or nothing mindset. A perfectionist thinks, “If I can’t do it well, I’d rather not do it at all.” Sound familiar? This type of thinking can kill your productivity.
It’s a fine line between striving for excellence (which is great) and full-blown perfectionism that doesn’t serve you. If you’re caught in perfectionism mindset, read on for a revolutionary strategy that will change how you work.
Crap Draft Mindset
“Start with a crap draft,” a professor once said to my class. “Don’t try to write a rough draft of your paper. Start by writing total crap.”
At first, I thought I heard him wrong. What would be the point of writing crap? But, immediately I felt the pressure lift off my shoulders. Writing a rough draft felt overwhelming, but starting with a crap draft felt doable – and it was!
Three Benefits of Crap Drafts
- Writing a crap draft gets you started. You might not use much of it, but because it’s low pressure, it gets you started.
- Writing a crap draft helps you get your thoughts in order. By seeing your random thoughts on paper, you can begin to organize them.
- Writing a crap draft unearths your brilliant ideas. Often times your best ideas are buried and only by getting through your crap ideas will you discover the brilliant ones.
If you’re struggling to get started on anything, start with a crap draft. Write a crap draft business plan, a crap draft book, or even crap draft goals. It gets your juices flowing and gives you a starting point. You’ve now overcome the hardest part – getting started.
