If perfectionism is not the answer what is? Skill. A man skilled in his work will stand before kings. Here are the 5 steps to master any skill.

5 Steps to Skill:

1. Study/Train
Excellent people read everything they can about the task at hand. They listen to advice and ask questions. They take every opportunity to practice even if it means working without pay. They submit to the scoldings of a master. Perfectionists do not.

2. Plan
Perfectionists fall pray to the temptation is to just jump right into a task. This makes the task take twice as long. There is a saying among programmers who hate to plan they say that “weeks of coding can save you from hours of planing.”

3. Execute
It is a joy to watch a skillful person perform a task. They don’t guess. They focus. It is as if the world around them blurs and all that remains is a worker and the work to be done. This is what kings love to watch.

4. Evaluate
Skillful people evaluate themselves and seeking feedback from others often. My best professors had their students fill out evaluations for them several times a semester. The best businesses solicit and then listen to feedback from their customers. Perfectionists keep working until they have pleased themselves. They evaluate themselves by their own standard. Perfectionists ignorant of the needs of the task focus on unimportant and ignore the important.

5. Study/Train
Skillful people take their evaluations and then study more. They never stop learning. They never stop experimenting with better methods. They continue to improve when everyone else thinks they have arrived.

What do you think?

Ok, you have heard what I think about skill & perfectionism . What do you think?

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Why are skillful people rare? Because most of us fall pray to perfectionism.

“Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.”
-Proverbs 22:29

Every time I read this verse I think of Benjamin Franklin. In his autobiography he attests to the truth of this verse stating that he had stood before many kings and even had dinner with the king of Denmark. He claimed his mad printer skills caused his fame and success. Franklin was not a perfectionist he was skillful. Yes there is a difference.

4 Problems with Perfectionism:

1. Perfectionism is Pride
Some people are unwilling to admit they are not good at something so they spend unreasonable amounts of time trying to get their work to match their self image. They fail to admit their inadequacy. They refuse to submit to the instruction of a master. This is vanity. Instead of asking for help they just keep working, blind to their inefficiencies and lack of skill .

2. Perfectionism Poisons Efficiency
Perfectionists feel that they do a good job when they just take longer. They feel that taking this extra time makes their results “perfect.” Anyone can complete a task given enough time. Skill determines how much time a person needs. They will not be able to stand before kings. Perfectionism is what separates starving artists from thriving artists. Skilled artists can do a good job quickly. Other artists make excuses for their slowness and their lack of ambition.

3. Perfectionism Wastes Money
As an employer I am always hesitant to hire a perfectionist. I know it can take them twice as long to do a job 20% better than a non perfectionist. The reason Master Electricians charge twice as much for electrical work is because it takes them half the time to do the job. And they do it right the first time. No one wants to spend 2x money on the same quality job.

4. Perfectionism Cheapens Excellence
There are times when excellence is needed. But if you can’t do it correctly in an hour what makes you think the second hour will make it correct? The key to excellence is practice. Do your task a dozen different ways till you find the best way to do it. Experiment, evaluate execute repeat.

What do you think?

Ok, you have heard what I think about perfectionism. What do you think?

Related posts:

1. 5 Steps to Master Any Skill If perfectionism is not the answer what is? Skill. A...