Wolsamnoraa's Blog

Stop right there. It's good enough.

As a half-asser, your approach to life should always include an objective.  The reason for half-assing one project is to get to a more fulfilling endeavor as quickly as possible; moving from one point to another.  For this, some over achievers will carry on about how the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

I disagree.  Have you ever done the math?  Take a distance between point ”A” and point “not A”.  Measure that sh*t.  Let’s say it’s 1 unit of measure.  Quite a distance, wouldn’t you say?  I can barely catch my breath thinking about how to circumnavigate that span.  Let’s say you want to walk that distance but, because it’s such a lengthy trek, you decide to take your time and start by just traveling half the distance.  So, instead of the full 1 unit, you’re only going to travel 1/2 a unit.  Sure, it’s not as far as 1 whole unit, but it’s still an admirable distance to travel.  Well, your journey begins and you make your way to the halfway point.

You’re feeling lively and adventuresome, so you begin again; just like the first trip, you only travel halfway between your current location and the final destination.  You stop to really soak up your progress and notice that you’ve gone 3/4 units and have almost achieved your final target of 1 unit of measure.  Good for you!  Your accomplishment leaves you brimming with confidence and so you attempt another half, and another, and another and so on and so forth.  What you realize is that no matter how many halves you travel, you’ll never quite reach your destination.  And even though you’ll get closer with each half you take, your efforts will never successfully take you to the end of your journey.

Such is the way with perfectionism.  If you set out to finish a task fully, you’ll never do it regardless of how many attempts you make.  However, remember that first half you traveled?  You made it there in one try and you were full of energy and confidence!  (Fuzzy logic is a half-asser’s wet dream.)  Setting your standards to attainable goals, cutting that by half,  and avoiding the impossible task of 100% are the most important lessons of half-assing.  If you’re constantly striving to do things right, you’ll never get them done.  Focusing your efforts on the minimum that needs to be accomplished is a fine way to move from one point to another.  It might not be the point a perfectionist is trying for, but that’s his problem.  You’ve got better things to do.