I knew from this section’s first sentence on the PERFECT barrier, I had run face first into the cement wall holding me back from moving forward on my path to writing success. I have a terrible fear of people reading my work and finding it boring, poorly written, filled with silly mistakes; basically, wreaking of an untalented, amateur.
When I wrote, I would do so on my computer and constantly backspace to fix an awkward sentence or correct my spelling as soon as I saw a mistake. Needless to say, it would take me an hour or more to squeeze out one paragraph. By that time, my exhausted Muse had usually given up and slammed the door shut to her hiding place. I might’ve even heard a deadbolt lock a couple of times.
I am working very hard to get through the PERFECT barrier. I know it won’t be overnight because I am, by nature, a perfectionist. This fact is visible in my tendency to procrastinate in areas I know I’m great at, like time management, organization and household duties. I often think, “Well, I’ll wait to hang that picture until I know exactly where I’ll hang all of my pictures, that way I won’t have to take them down and change them around if it looks horrible.”
So, PERFECT may never finish, but sometimes I don’t even start because I tell myself I’ll wait until I can do it the “right” way. It’s exhausting for Me and my Muse. No more! I am going to beat it, I know it. Remember: habits take 30 days to break, then another 30 days to create a new habit in the old one’s place, so I’m aware this will be an ongoing process.
Which of the four thinking barriers is your biggest obstacle?
In case you don’t know what they are, here you go:
SAFE, PERFECT, VICTIM and FEEL.
WEB RESOURCES
Holly wrote a terrific article on the subject you can read here.
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