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?