Struggling with perfectionism in your writing process?

Vanity metrics must be achieved to keep the writer within you going enthusiastically. However, one must accept the duality of putting their work in public. You should not, and I suggest must not, try to make everyone love your work. When being yourself while creating, you might make people uncomfortable and even repulsive. Critique will be inevitable, so grow a thick skin. So, you should not let the self attested tag of a writer define you entirely. Simmer down that importance when it starts getting to you, zoom out, and ask a lot why's about your process. And MAYBE then, the flaws will begin to feel a lot more natural.

Perfectionism often leads to excessive self-criticism and fear of imperfection. Embrace the idea that no piece of writing is flawless. Allow yourself to make mistakes and view them as opportunities for growth and learning. By accepting imperfections, you can alleviate self-imposed pressure and foster a more forgiving and constructive approach to your writing process.

Embracing flaws in writing allows for growth and progress. Shift your focus from perfection to authenticity and creativity. No one's perfect out there. Keep working on your flaws.

It's important to stop focusing on minor flaws and mistakes, and in exchange, perfect the overarching message and development of your writing. The question is: does my piece carry across my intended message and inspiration? It's NOT something such as: does my piece have enough quotes & facts?

When you run behind perfection, you go nowhere. You cannot be perfect. You have to evolve yourself over time. You will make mistakes, and there might be some flaws. But it does not mean you should stop. You need to embrace them. Everything in this world is a result of continuous improvement. I think everything could be better. Perfection is another name for procrastination. You do it to delay work. Just do it.

One great way to limit your self-editing is to create a workflow with defined stages. This is how I write books: 1 - Draft 1. I do not edit during this time, except in terms of correcting typos I've spotted or going back to change a detail that would impact a future scene. 2 - Reading draft. I read the work through once and correct any obvious issues. I may also make notes for broader issues that will take more time to correct. 3 - At this stage I do an edit pass for whatever the main point of the book is. For example, a romance pass for romance books, checking that the attraction and love is properly felt. 4 - A spelling and grammar draft. And so on - and because I have a clearly defined process, I don't get bogged down at any point.

Perfectionism can result in spending excessive time on minor details or endlessly revising without progress. Set realistic time limits for each writing task or phase, such as outlining, drafting, and editing. Use techniques like time-blocking to allocate specific periods for focused work. Setting limits encourages efficiency, prevents burnout, and encourages a healthier balance between striving for quality and completing tasks on time.

Sometimes, you become overwhelmed when you think of becoming perfect. Do you think about when I will reach that goal of being perfect? You will never be there. You have to set your goals and limits and work towards them. When you achieve them, you are perfect. But make sure to do your quality work continuously. I'd like you to work one step daily on your goal plan. Set limits so that you know you have done it. Without limits, there is no parameter of perfection. How do you define perfect? Nothing in this world is ideal except things created by God.

Work in phases. You can't conjure a perfect 1,600-word article out of nothing. Do research and make a brief (if you don't have one.) Walk away. Create a first draft. Walk away. Revise it into a second draft. Walk away. Do necessary edits. Walk away. Final proof. Walk away. One more proof, then send it.

If you feel blocked in your writing because you are a perfectionist, start by writing a draft with the mindset that nobody will read it. Use this first draft to highlight the parts you think could improve. Work on a second draft where you can focus on grammar and checking citations and concepts. Send the final draft for feedback. Always have two or three colleagues whom you can consult about your writing and offer your help to them as well.

Seeking feedback from trusted peers, mentors, or colleagues can provide valuable perspectives and insights. Share your work-in-progress to gain constructive criticism on areas like clarity, structure, and coherence. Embrace feedback as an opportunity to refine your ideas and enhance the quality of your writing. Engaging in dialogue with others can also help challenge perfectionistic tendencies by emphasizing the importance of collaboration and continuous improvement.

When I was working on my latest book, I found myself stuck in the edits, each change with less momentum than the last. I shared my draft with a trusted colleague, whose feedback was a game-changer for this project. They saw strengths in chapters I was ready to scrap and offered insights that sparked fresh ideas. It reminded me that perfection is subjective; what I saw as flaws, they saw as potential. By embracing collaboration, my book was much improved along with new a fresh ideas. So, share your work with those you trust, seek feedback, and let the perspectives of others help get you to the finish line.

One essential step: Always seek feedback whenever you do something. You may receive some by default. Some are negative, and some are positive. But don't be afraid of them. You can use them to improve and grow in your field. You can ask for feedback from your colleagues, friends, family and peers. They are more than happy to give feedback on your work. None of your loved ones will say, I don't care. But be ready to accept some constructive feedback. You know, feedback is a stepping stone in your success journey.

Feedback can come from several resources: trusted colleagues who understand the content, beta readers in your target market who can let you know where they feel confused or bored so you can improve on the reader experience and editors who can help you fine tune the writing itself and fix any grammar or punctuation errors.

Focus on the positive and let go of comparisons. Don't worry so much about how many people you've reached. Instead, allow yourself to take in any positive feedback from readers. Even making a difference in one person's life is a huge win!

Many people find it hard to meditate. I find that mindful movement and breath work makes it easy! In Breathe. Write. Breathe.: 18 Energizing Practices to Spark Your Writing and Free Your Voice, I share simple mindful movement and breathing practices from the ancients that put us in a state of inspiration, creative flow, and relaxation where we can let go of perfectionism and allow our best work to come out.

I always do a 15-minute meditation in the morning, which helps me to set my body and mind for the day. You need to calm your mind when working on important things. When you work hard, you will experience much stress. You need something to help you relieve stress and feel relaxed. Doing some breathing exercises and a little meditation can lead to a mindfulness journey that will calm and relax your mind and body.

I know how difficult it can be to produce timely results when you’re constantly worrying about how perfect your work is but accepting that flaws are part of the writing journey is essential. Delivering optimum quality is important but nothing can be perfect. Taking breaks and practicing mindfulness can ease your mind. I try not to fear failure as it’s one of my major reasons for perfectionist tendencies.

Meditation is a great tool to help you overcome the paralysis of starting. It can help you shift your mindset around the task, find an easy place to start, or make your brain so bored that you itch for the satisfaction of typing away.

Perfectionism is a creative adversary. It sets expectations for your writing, thereby barring your messy, unorganized thoughts from emerging into existence. Take time to assess the language you tell yourself as you write. “It’s not good enough” does not mean “you’re not good enough.” It means you are evaluating yourself by the imaginary requirements you’ve set for your content. Just as these requirements are self-determined, so are the negative thoughts you’ve attached to not meeting them. Remove your worth from the final draft. At every stage you’re creating. At every stage you’re improving. Perfectionism can stifle this natural process if you let it. Find a balance until “perfect” becomes “what’s best.”

The next time you feel tempted to aim for perfection, try these things: - Ask yourself to write down the description of the 'perfect' piece according to your imagination. - It is a bit unlikely that you would have described to your satisfaction what is mentioned in the previous point, but if you have, ask yourself to write down what would be a perfect piece according to other people. - If you have crossed the second step too, in all likelihood, you will see a conflict. Pay attention to the conflict. You will clearly see that there is no point trying to write what you or other people think is a perfect piece. An excellent one or even an effective one will serve the purpose.