Perfectionism
Wise Words From John Scalzi About Why You Shouldn’t Worry About Your Legacy
Related to my prior post on why you should take an expansive view of success, here are some wise words from science fiction author John Scalzi, one of my favorite bloggers. Inspired by the recent death of British SF writer Colin Wilson, he writes on why you should just do your work and not worry…
Read MoreHow to Measure Your 2013 Successes so as to have a Happier, More Productive 2014 (Part I)
As you evaluate your progress over the past year–or as your family attempts to evaluates it for you–one thing to keep in mind is that perfectionism often confuses success with failure. It basically recognizes just one kind of success, where you: (a) finish a monumental project, (b) do a spectacular job at it, and (c)…
Read More“Weight Loss for Writers” Class Premiers Online Jan 6
I’ve been waiting to teach this for years, and am so excited! We’re going to get healthier and write more. Description follows. Space limited, so register now. Lots of writers struggle with their weight, but has it ever occurred to you that weight gain has a lot in common with that other common writer’s malady,…
Read MoreSituational Perfectionism in Sex
The Times’s Joyce Wadler recounts how the high cost of Viagra and other “performance enhancing” drugs is putting her under pressure to be better at sex. “I’m a sexually confident woman, but the cost of these pills was giving me performance anxiety. I knew it was supposed to be about love and connection, but when…
Read MoreWhy, in Writing, Process Trumps Product, And Why You Shouldn’t Worry About The Quality of Your Work
Everyone’s obsessed with quality, but the way to achieve it is not to focus on it. That’s because: 1) Quality is an Emergent Property An emergent property is one that’s intrinsic to a system, and that arises organically as that system operates. Think of relationships: if you try to force them, they wither and die.…
Read MoreAre You Waiting for Ideal Conditions to Start Your Project?
Recently, someone mentioned she was waiting to clear “a big chunk of time” before starting a project. Other things people wait for are: The kids to be in school (or out of the house entirely). A better work space (either at home or elsewhere). More money. Retirement. ”To do more research.” While there is often…
Read MoreDave Barry on How to Cope With Post-Pulitzer Prize Situational Perfectionism
Situational perfectionism is when something causes your perfectionism to spike. It can be a failure, of course, but it can also be a success. Here’s J.K. Rowling, quoted in Salon: “For the first time ever in my life, I got writer’s block. The stakes seemed to have gone up a lot, and I attracted a…
Read MoreLessons from a Struggling Math Student
Math teacher Ben Orlin has all the usual complaints about students. They don’t do their work, don’t show up for help, and settle for memorizing facts instead of working to truly understand the material. Unlike many teachers, however, he knows better than to label his students as lazy and unmotivated—in part because he once walked…
Read MoreWant to Get More Work Done? Then Show it Early and Often
There are many techniques that will help you boost your writing output, but one of the best is to show your work early and often: Show drafts. Show chunks (paragraphs and pages). And even show individual sentences and clauses. (“Hey, what do you think of this metaphor…” Or, “Super proud of how I framed this…”)…
Read MoreHow to Convince Someone to do the Right Thing (Includes “Basic Instructions” Cartoon!)
Scott Meyer’s Basic Instructions cartoon strip offers great advice via funny (and nicely-penned) cartoons. In the below recent cartoon, which Scott kindly gave me permission to reprint, he shows how to help someone overcome procrastination. Below the cartoon is my analysis and interpretation of each frame. The TOP LEFT FRAME offers an excellent illustration of…
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