Recently, I received an invitation from “The Juice,” an online community created by Tropicana Trop50 and BlogHer, to blog about my ideas for an episode on “doing more with less.”  As a Professional Organizer, I’m a firm believer in getting more out of life by having less clutter and disorganization. It’s also the theme behind Virtually Organized. So what’s my idea on this topic for an episode of The Juice?

 Stop feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list and get more done every day by becoming an “imperfectionist.”

How long is your to-do list? Three-, five-, ten-items long? If you’re like most women, it’s never-ending. No sooner do you cross off one item and three more things get added. Why do we take on so much? Why does it never end? One reason I’ve come across, both in my own life and in the lives of many of my clients, is perfectionism.

Most women expect too much from themselves; more so than we do from anyone else. But this tendency to strive for perfection can leave us spinning our wheels and never moving ahead. We are constantly taking on more to do while convincing ourselves we can do it all and do it flawlessly. How can we counter this? Try approaching life as an “imperfectionist.”

1.    Strive for excellence, but work to avoid perfection.

The next time you find yourself exhausting your time and energy trying to perfect a task, stop and remind yourself (out loud if you have to) that good enough will suffice.

2. Reduce unreasonably high expectations.

Look at the items on your to-do list. Can you reasonably accomplish all of these tasks? If the answer is “no,” go through each one and lower your expectations of the end result. I’m not suggesting that you start doing things sub-par, but imagine the relief you will have when you give yourself permission to relax your high standards.

3. Seek simplicity.

Start to distinguish which tasks on your list do not warrant excessive attention. For those less-than-important items it is okay to occasionally leave them incomplete or to remove them from your list entirely. With simplicity as your goal you can develop a fresh outlook on your endeavors and avoid the perfectionism trap.

4. Ask for help.

If you’re still finding it hard to reduce your to-do list, get more comfortable with delegation. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness but rather a good strategy for accomplishing more with less time and effort.

5. Fake it.

Having trouble incorporating imperfectionism into your life? Write down what “good enough” means to you and let this description serve as your reference guide as you force yourself into modeling “good enough” behavior. Even if you need to “fake it” the first few times, living like a non-perfectionist will eventually become more natural.

Striving for imperfection can help you do more every day, and do it with less stress, less disappointment and less expense. Try it, and let me know how it works for you.

Simply yours,

Debbie

P.S. Want more information and tips about overpowering perfectionism? My new book on this topic will be released July 2009. “Everything I Know About Perfectionism I Learned From My Breasts: Secrets and Solutions for Overpowering Perfectionism.”

Related posts:

1. Perfection vs. Simplicity – You DO Have a Choice
2. Are You a Perfect Procrastinator?
3. “Real” Moms Have Sticky Floors
4. Time Monsters Can Kill Your Productivity
5. 3 Tips for Getting More Done at Home Today