The Benefits of Delivering B+ Work
I've often noticed that one of the things at the root of frustration - that feeling of being in perpetual potential mode, that you can't quite reach your edges in business is good old-fashioned perfectionism.
You've no doubt heard about this issue before, but I want to redefine what it means and give you a way to move through it.
Perfectionism isn't about high standards. It's about unrealistic standards. The standards set by that omnipresent wee voice inside that's made a career out of telling you that what you're working on is not up to scratch. That's the voice conceived in comparison mode, the love child of high ambition and constant competition in a world where we get to see the highlight reels of the world in our faces every day.
It's relentless.
Try excellence instead
Striving for excellence can drive success, but perfectionism, that push to polish what is already pretty damn good, can tip you over the edge into paralysis and self-doubt. This orientation will stall your progress, and ironically, stops you from reaching the potential that is most likely just within your grasp.
This is why I want to shift your philosophy and your thinking into the arena of B+ work.
This is not about settling for less. It's about recognising when your efforts are already aligning sufficiently with the objectives and goals that you have. An approach that allows breathing space and growth.
50 reasons
To help you with this recalibration, I'd like to share an exercise I set for a client of mine - the task of writing down 50 reasons why B+ work is enough.
I loved how she wrote 48 reasons with an asterisk alongside saying "Because 48 is B+ and that's enough". She really did understand the heart of the concept!
Some of the reasons she included in her list were:
B+ work allows me more space for creativity
B+ work it reduces stress
B+ work increases my productivity
B+ work opens space to see new opportunities
This exercise illuminates this crucial lesson that striving for perfection blinds you to the value of progress. It's in that B+ space where you can find balance, growth and genuine fulfilment.
The weekly videos and newsletters I share here on LinkedIn are great examples of B+ work. I have an outline rather than a script. I stumble a little bit over my words. My newsletters are an extension of my ideas and I naturally give thought to them, but I don't spend unnecessary time agonising over each word. And yet they're good enough. They are out in the world being helpful to the people watching and reading, rather than stuck on my screen being polished.
Lower the bar
To start reducing obvious or latent perfectionist tendencies, dial up your self-awareness. Recognise when you have set the bar impossibly high. Check your self-imposed deadlines and goals, and make sure that the timelines and standards you've set are reasonable.
Ask yourself, "Could things be softened a little"? Is my habit to always push myself to do more actually hindering my progress?".
Start implementing the B+ standard today. Start with what you see as non-critical tasks to begin to build the new habit. And celebrate every small victory and snippet of progress. Focus on excellence, not perfection. Share this philosophy with your team. Perhaps completing the 50 reasons exercise together. Create a more innovative environment and boost your resilience by letting yourself off the hook a wee bit more.
Challenge yourself this week with the B+ mindset. You'll soon see the difference it makes to your ability to ship the work, to get things out the door and into the world where they can contribute to making the impact you're here for.
I'd love to hear some of the 50 reasons you come up with - let me know so I can add them to our list!
