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Easing Perfectionism
For people who redo, over-prepare and put things off until they can be flawless. Each day is one small experiment in letting good enough be enough, so you finish more, rest more, and enjoy the work again.
Self-Compassion · Perfectionism · Self-Compassion · one to-do a day · you choose how many days
The first seven days
- Day 1Write down one task you have been polishing for too long, and decide what "done" looks like for it in a single sentence.
- Day 2Send one email today without rereading it a second time.
- Day 3Notice the standard you are holding yourself to on one task, and ask whether anyone else expects that from you.
- Day 4Pick a small chore, set a timer for ten minutes, and stop when it rings even if it is not finished.
- Day 5Leave one typo in a text message to a friend and send it anyway.
- Day 6Choose a task you tend to over-prepare for and cut your preparation time in half today.
- Day 7Cook dinner tonight without measuring anything exactly, and eat it without commenting on what went wrong.
Further into the year
The to-dos keep changing as the year goes on. A few from later in this theme:
- Day 30Practice a hobby for twenty minutes with the goal of enjoying it rather than improving at it.
- Day 60Let a child or beginner do a task slowly and imperfectly while you keep your hands in your pockets.
- Day 120Let a small typo you notice in something you already sent stay uncorrected.
- Day 240Finish a knitting, woodworking, or craft piece with a visible flaw and use it anyway.
- Day 365End the day by naming one imperfect thing you finished, and let that be what you remember about today.
How a challenge works
A Theraglee challenge is a theme with one small to-do for every day of a year. You choose how long yours runs, anywhere from a week to the full year, and each day you get the next to-do: something that takes a few minutes and fits inside an ordinary day. Tick it off when it is done. Nothing is scored and nothing is lost if you miss a day; the next to-do is simply waiting when you come back.
Challenges come with a free Theraglee account, which never asks for a card. Your progress stays private to you.