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For your creativity to flow, lose the fear of being wrong. Nobody but you is keeping score, anyway. So, here's a thought: what if you eased up on the perfection pedal and aimed for something more real, more achievable—like simply being "good enough"?
To be extraordinary, you must make a pit stop in the land of "good enough." It's a necessary layover on your journey to greatness. Accept good enough, and the extraordinary soon shows up. Or, it remains just within reach.
Escaping the Perfection Trap
Why is perfectionism an unrealistic standard, you ask? Aside from keeping you in a cycle of self-doubt and anxiety, it increases dissatisfaction and unnecessary stress. For a hairdresser, the biggie is the fear of publicly falling short that paralyzes creativity, stifles innovation, and scares you from risks that can lead to innovation. Great hairdressers make big mistakes—that's what makes them extraordinary.
Work on Continuous Improvement
If you are in a salon funk when nothing seems to gel, ease up on being right. Let go of looking like you always have it together and focus instead on average and continuous improvements. You are today, where you wanted to be before. Not everything went right, and "good enough" kept you going. You win when you let go of the need to be perfect and settle for good enough.
Working With Others
Good enough is essential for working with the salon personalities. Building a team or clientele with your values and opinions is unreasonable. The people who don't click with you come with the job. Let them be. Let them go. They are also more than good enough.
How to Be "Good Enough"
• To kick start the art of good enough, begin by talking to the person who insists you must be perfect—that would be you. And ask them to let up. Remind them that average is cool and works more often than perfect. Go away.
• Then, identify the time wasters, people, places, and things that steal your energy, offering nothing in return.
• Know what you must do even if you don't like it and set priorities. Something like a to-do list, you keep tasks in mind.
• Have a short mental list of what you won't do. An I'm-not-going-there list is just as important as your to-do list.
By being okay with the imperfection of minor improvements, you get to know your creativity, unleashing it a little at a time. Embrace the journey, celebrate progress, and be grateful that life is indeed good enough.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Carlos Valenzuela is a seasoned educator and the author of the award-winning "Letters to Young Carlos" and its sequel, "Camaleón: the Lost Years Living in the Closet." His insights and knowledge inspire countless individuals. He shares his expertise through engaging talks, interviews, online seminars, live workshops, and on his website. Learn more: https://carlosvalenzuela.online/