Lockdown: How have you been affected?

Hi Brian here, well well here we are still in lockdown. But the restrictions are very slowly being lifted. It is going to be a long time before we get anything near to ‘back to normal’. Something different for you this time, just keep reading to find it…..

What’s Been Happening?

With the lockdown, my furlough has been extended, for up to a further two months. I have been able to get a lot done at home since my last post, click here for my last posting. Here is a quick update:

A lot happened in the back garden since last time.

Under the cypress tree has been cleared of ivy and brambles.

Down the left hand side of the garden has now been cleared underneath the shrubs, brambles, ivy and weeds cleared. Now seeded with a collection of wild flowers, just waiting for them to germinate.

This is how it finished.

The arbour has been painted, plants now at the back of the fence. Found a number of flower pots, all been cleared and filled with new compost. A selection of border plants planted in the pots.

Lockdown, have you been effective?

With some 8 million people furloughed here in the UK (and many in similar circumstances around the world), have you been making effective use of your time during the lockdown?

Watching reruns of your favourite TV shows, devouring box sets of serial programs does NOT count? Neither does sitting in the garden consuming cans of drink.

To make effective use of this time you need to be doing something that is useful for yourself. Such as polishing up your skills, or even turning your hand a new skill. What about being really effective and starting your own business or sideline. Or, do you have a problem with procrastination and perfection?

Procrastination and Perfection

If you seem to be locked into being a perfectionist, it can waste a lot of your time and energy. The more energy you put into making something perfect, the less real productivity you’ll enjoy.

Everyone has some measure of perfectionism within them. You set high goals for yourself, and then you push yourself to achieve them. You have high personal standards and integrity, and that makes us want to always do our best at all times.

This particular dedication for perfection helps us get the results we want, and enjoy the success that comes with achieving our goals. But perfectionism in an extreme sense has negative repercussions, rather than positive results.

Some examples of extreme perfectionism would be:

Less Efficiency

Sometimes good enough really is good enough. When you’ve completed a given task, but then continue working on it to improve this or that, you lose ten minutes… then 30 minutes, etc. You overthink things to a point where very little gets accomplished.

Less Effectiveness

Again, with the overthinking. You add small details without stopping to think about whether you need them or not. The project you’re working on may not receive any additional value from your additions, and in fact, may ruin the project altogether. We’ve all experienced a too-cluttered website or a presentation with too much random information packed into a slide. A good rule of thumb is: simple is better.

The “Perfect” Moment

Here’s a tip: there is no perfect moment. It’s not going to come, so the best you can do it get to work on your tasks right now. You can’t wait until you feel like it, or until all the planets align… just do it! This is a big way that procrastination and perfectionism work against you in tandem.

Missing the Forest for the Trees

You can often only see the details, and miss the impact of the larger picture and eventual completion of the goal. You work on smaller details at the expense of the whole project. And when nothing gets done, even though you’ve been “busy”, you wonder what went wrong. Try looking at the overall bigger picture, and achieve a balance between the big picture and the details.

Creating Nonexistent Problems

Worrying about things that really aren’t problems at all is a great way to waste your valuable mental energy. And, it can create an unhealthy diversion from away from the real tasks at hand. It’s a typical procrastination problem and an unhealthy one!

To Round Up

Surprisingly, we’re not saying that you should stop being a perfectionist, but should be aware of when your perfectionist tendencies go overboard. Always keep a balance between perfection and productivity, and procrastination will become a thing of the past!

Finally Something For You

Need some content ideas? Here is a video for you to give you some ideas, just click on the image….you may need a pen and paper to take notes?