Moving Beyond Too Little Too Late

Are you a fellow (recovering) perfectionist?

There are many of us around!

I’ve been challenged by perfectionism for as long as I can remember. It’s only in the last 15 years or so that I have been able to really root it out or at least become aware of it. Instead of being perfectionistic, I practice striving for excellence (or "good enough" in many cases). Many tools have helped me practice this. And today, I want to share one little (small but mighty) saying I use all the time.

From, "Too little, too late", to...

The saying is relevant to procrastination, which can be the result of perfectionism. As part of my lingering perfectionism, sometimes that critical voice in my head will say: “That’s too little, too late.” It can be an insidious and tricky voice that flies just under my awareness for a while.

"Better late than never"

My wiser comeback to this voice has become, “Better Late Than Never.” Because “Never” is where that critical voice was guiding me to and that Never place is a devastating place of shame, lack and isolation. It’s a place of fixed mindset, of duality, right/wrong, “on time”/not at all… never. And I find that when I’m growing quickly I can still get stuck in this “too little too late”, fixed mindset, perfectionistic mentality. In these periods of growth, I need to ground into a growth mindset more than ever - in a growth mindset, there are third ways, both/ands, complexities and nuances, mess and magic.

I was getting caught in this trap

In full transparency, I realized I was getting caught in this very trap this week, as I contemplated writing to you. Lately, my posts and newsletters have not been as consistent as they have been for the past 10 plus years of writing. (Related to my new website and branding and some other projects – lots of growth!)

Bottom line - I was avoiding the writing because I was feeling bad that I hadn’t written. Why bother, when it’s too little, too late?

And self-sabotaging on what I love

Talk about self-sabotage!

I love writing to you!

I have soooo much I want to share. And as I procrastinate that abundance starts to overwhelm me too and feed my procrastination…

And then I get really stuck.

How to get unstuck?

What gets me unstuck?

Lots of different tools, people, conversations. When I have some space, to journal or walk on my own, or to talk to one of the many wise people around me, I feel more connection and freedom and can shift into a growth mindset. Then I often have insights like I did with this latest one – that I was sabotaging myself with the perfectionistic “too little too late”. And in the next breath, I had the realization that I’d love to share this topic with you right now.

I hope my share has been helpful to you.

I’m wondering…

Do you relate to this challenge of “too little too late” or something similar?

How do you deal with it?

Because one thing I know for sure: we, our families, our colleagues, the world desperately needs us to stop stopping ourselves, to stop procrastinating so much, getting in our own way like I’ve been.

And then let’s think about this…

What’s “better late than never” for you…

Today?

This year?

This lifetime?

What if...?

What if we all said, to even one of these “too little too lates”, “better late than never”?

What might be different in this world?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.