avatarKevin Alexander

Summary

The article emphasizes the pitfalls of striving for perfection and the benefits of embracing imperfection and enjoyment in the creative process.

Abstract

The article "Good Is The Enemy Of Great" discusses the detrimental effects of overthinking and the pursuit of perfection, particularly in the age of social media. It argues that the pressure to produce flawless work can lead to paralysis by analysis, resulting in inferior outcomes or a failure to complete projects. The author, inspired by Henry Miller, suggests that a better approach is to work with calmness, joy, and even reckless abandon, as this can lead to higher quality results and more fulfilling work experiences. The piece also encourages readers to become Medium members to support the author and access a wealth of stories.

Opinions

  • The author believes that the quest for a perfect product can be counterproductive, leading to regressive behavior and inferior work.
  • Social media exacerbates the issue of perfectionism by presenting a stream of polished and curated content that makes individuals feel inadequate.
  • The article suggests that endless tweaking and optimization can result in decision paralysis, preventing the completion of tasks.
  • Reframing one's focus to enjoy the process and occasionally work recklessly can improve the quality of the work produced.
  • The author promotes the idea of supporting writers directly by becoming a Medium member, which provides access to a diverse range of content.

Good Is The Enemy Of Great

Stop overthinking, start doing

Henry Miller. Photo: Cinesourcemagazine.com

Don’t be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand.

~Henry Miller

A small thought:

It’s easy for people to get tripped up on perfection. The rise of social media has only made that worse. Few things are more effective at making one feel “lesser” than an endless scroll through perfectly curated photos. It’s the same with writing.

We only get the polished end product. What we don’t see are all the previous edits or the trash can full of discarded ideas.

That quest for an ideal product is well-intentioned, but can be regressive. It’s easy to become so concerned with doing your best that you wind up shipping something inferior, or worse — never finishing at all.

Endless tweaking and “optimizing” are gateways to paralytic indecision.

It feels counter-intuitive (and a little cheap), but try re-framing your focus on simply enjoying what you’re doing-and even crashing through it recklessly once in a while.

I’ve found that doing so often results in higher quality work than what would’ve happened otherwise.

If you enjoy reading stories like this, consider signing up to become a Medium member. Doing so gets you unlimited access to 1000’s of stories on Medium. Using this affiliate link won’t cost you anything extra, and you’ll be directly supporting my work.

Writing
Social Media
Life Lessons
Self Improvement
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