One of the most underratedly hard parts about the second semester of any high schooler's senior year is finding ways to cope with inevitable senioritis. It's true, everyone gets it, but not everyone deals with this crippling disease the same way; some people embrace it and get comfy while they watch their motivation (usually in tandem with their grades) drop to record lows, while others drive themselves crazy trying their very hardest to stay on task and not soil their last seven semesters of hard work. My approach, I'd like to think, has been sort of in the middle, where I'm not totally blowing work off, but to say I'm still investing 100% of my best effort would just be a blatant lie. My guiding motto lately has been, "it doesn't have to be good, it just has to be done." Is this the anthem of a slacker who realizes what it takes to work just hard enough? Probably. But does that mean it's an inherently bad principle? Honestly, I don't think so. It's probably pretty widely accepted that the "don't work, don't care" perspective isn't something to strive for but, to play devil's advocate, I think there are situations where this sort of "not good, just done" mindset is necessary and beneficial.
Any cliche, out of touch teacher/parent/motivator will tell you that you should always shoot for perfection, because if you think your work is perfect, what more could you ask for, right? Wrong. There are quite a few problems that you can run in to if perfection is always the end goal. First and foremost, you will likely drive yourself into insanity if you're always struggling to achieve perfection; someone with a healthy work ethic problem wants to minimize their time spent struggling at all. If perfection can be achieved without any sort of struggle, then there probably needs to be some sort of paradigm shift or redefinition of what "perfect" really means. Perfection, by nature, isn't supposed to be easily attainable, and not everything a person does is supposed to be considered perfect. There should be some distinction between good and bad, which necessitates a certain allotment for things that are bad. This allotment is healthy, productive, and relieving, and the "not good, just done" mentality tolerates bad work as part of a greater whole (that we're assuming is also composed of good, maybe even some perfect work). For people really under the gun with expectations, or just in their eight semester of high school, this mentality offers a nice respite from the need to be perfect or always invest the best effort.
Beyond the fact that perfect is simply just not always a viable option, sometimes it genuinely isn't an option at all. Take for example my college decision, something that's been plaguing my thoughts for weeks; as of now I can either choose to attend the University of San Francisco or New York University next Fall, both of which are great choices, but neither of which really is perfect. I've been back and forth between the two relentlessly over the past few weeks and I've boiled the decision down to the notion that either outcome will be amazing, but part of what makes the decision so tough is that neither one jumps out to me as being the obvious, clear-cut "perfect" choice. In this, and many other similar scenarios, there really isn't a perfection to strive for, it's just choosing between the better of two goods (or the lesser of two evils if you're a pessimist). Framing the decision with the mantra, "it doesn't have to be good, it just has to be done" again is a source of respite; in the end whatever choice I make doesn't have to be the best because there may not even be a best, but ultimately a deadline will come (in a mere two days in fact) and a decision will have to be made. It might not be the best, but it doesn't have to be, it will however have to be done. That's what I really like about this mentality (at least for now, while I can still afford to like it), it doesn't hide the fact that there is a task at hand, but it takes the pressure off of finding the most supreme solution to the task. I recommend giving yourself a break once in a while and adopting the mantra for your own use, when you realize that perfection can be totally unrealistic or just a lie, then you can thank me. After, of course, you make sure that whatever it is you need to do is in fact done.
I really agree with this post. I think another reason the "it doesn't have to be good, it just has to be done" mantra is a good one is that it clarifies one's priorities. People who try to do everything perfectly end up either taking on two much and not even being done, or taking on too little. Not everything needs to be very good; not every task deserves full effort. Figuring out what counts as good enough, as "done" is a good way to be efficient and effective even in those times we are motivated.
ReplyDeleteJackers - I wish I was able to have that attitude. As one of the perfectionists you describe, I do view that trait as a weakness. It often prevents me from having as much fun or getting as much sleep as I can because of the sheer amount of work high school, and especially Academy, requires for 'perfection'. I can also definitely relate to the college decision struggles, as someone who also made their decision late in the game and had to choose between two great options. I chose, and it does feel really really good to be done. I feel like, as long as you're excelling and doing good work in what subjects interest you, just getting everything else done is a successful mindset.
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