I have been belaboring a writing project for about five years now. I have collected so much information that I am overwhelmed at the thought of putting it all together. I have been stuck in limbo for far too long.
This weekend was ideal. I didn't know that I had it off until the weekend arrived. Not knowing that I had two consecutive days off meant that I hadn't planned any extra curricular activities. Frigid, Arctic winter temperatures prevented me from even wanting to leave the house.
So I cleared out some 'office space' in my room-with-a-door and recreated my Holiday Oasis from my summer vacation (may I say, THE best vacation. Ever). It was like I was away on a mini-retreat for two entire days. And all I had to do was clear the clutter out of the room that I inhabited for the weekend.
I puttered. Slowly but surely. I cleared out some of the clutter in my brain and assembled my notes, scribblers and various other means of collecting memories. It took a good day to settle myself back into where-I-last-left-off. But yesterday? I started moving. Forward.
There is so very much more to do. I have created a monster. I have two computers and have been working on this project on both computers. One computer kept crashing and saving a back-up copy of my book-in-progress, so I have two files on one computer which do not match each other, nor the file on my laptop. Not only do I have three versions of the Book Project to integrate, I have my original outline-in-progress that I have been working from AND notes and scraps of paper, letters and emails to sort through (again). I must ensure that I have all of the information in one place (then get rid of the excess files!!).
I have done this to myself. It feels like an onerous task - simply ensuring that I have all of the information in ONE spot. And ONE spot only.
Then, the task will be to pull it all together in a way that tells a story. This is the part that has overwhelmed me.
The other variable that has paralyzed me is the fact that I have done this once before. As soon as the end product was finished, I was thinking of ways that I could do it better the next time. I have set the bar so high that I can't even see it any more. I feel like it is an illusive dream that may stay forever out of reach.
I have been talking myself out of the idea of 'perfection'. I know that it will never be good enough to meet my own standards. I know that there are many out there who could do so much better than I. I can already feel the disappointment as I fail to meet my own expectations.
I have been talking myself down for a while now. Then yesterday, I read this:
“Everything worth doing is not worth doing well.
Perfect is the enemy of done.
Good enough is the friend of done.
In sum: perfect is our enemy and good enough is our friend.
We need to do it and be done with it.
Mostly so we can have more evening couch time!”
~ written by the author of Momastery.com on her Facebook page
Perfect is the enemy of done. Good enough is our friend.
It is with that thought, that I will continue to forge ahead and put this project to rest. Sitting here in its incompleteness is draining me. I can already feel the energy that I will have once I finish this once and for all and print it off in its imperfect state.
One small step at a time. Perfect is the enemy of done. I will do my best and I will get this done. And it will be good enough.
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