Hey everyone,
Happy Friday. I know it’s Friday because I’m writing my newsletter. Days of the week already meant little to me but I’m finding they mean less and less as I allow myself to follow my own natural rhythms and curiosity.
It’s been interesting to balance a natural flow with the deadlines required by certain projects and well, getting things done. Speaking of getting things done…
I’ve been meditating a lot this week on perfectionism. Consequently, it’s been showing up for me everywhere - specifically, brushing up against my own and encountering content on every corner of the internet suggesting tips, tools, tactics, techniques, and tricks for overcoming perfectionism. This is not a surprise - that it’s showing up everywhere - maybe it’s the algorithms aligning or maybe it’s the ‘ole “blue car” phenomenon where you begin seeing something after you decide it’s important (there’s actually a name for that). But I’m learning a great deal about perfectionism and what it really is. Or is hiding.
Perfectionism is a mask. It’s meant to hide our insecurity. It frees us from the worry of impending judgment and the potential for rejection. Perfectionism keeps us safe and allows us to judge others while knowing that our work - when it’s perfect - will be better than theirs. Because ours will be perfect.
But perfect does not exist. Perfect is an excuse; it is a distraction.
Perfectionism feels like an okay excuse for inaction because it, in some ways, mimics productivity. It says, “I’m getting things done…they’re just not perfect,” but you’re not actually getting things done - aside from maybe worrying.
Regardless, perfectionism is not what we should be chasing.
What we really should be after is mastery. And mastery is an asymptote. We can approach it but we can never reach it. The joy lies in the pursuit. The improvements, often marginal, are found in action.
And there can be no pursuit with perfectionism because it keeps us stuck. The thing we claim is helping us improve is the very thing holding us back. Perfectionism is a quagmire and the more we struggle against it, the more complex it becomes. The thing we claim is keeping us safe (perfectionism) is the thing causing us harm - because it is the thing stopping us from further evolving and expressing our truest self.
We build confidence and overcome insecurity through action and through the pursuit of mastery. We move towards becoming.
With that in mind…
I’ve got good news!
My website is live —> CLICK HERE
I’ve been working on launching my site for the past few weeks. It’s a work in progress - I still need to add pages and posts and I’m sure a bazillion other things - but it’s a start and I’m happy with where it’s at. In other words, it’s progress.
I’m most proud of the Notes page on the blog. I’ll be using that page to share notes from the books I’m reading with you. These notes are meant to be concise and provide you with the key insights and takeaways from the book. These will be a key feature of my blog and I’ll do my best to include notes from one book each week.
Let’s get into it.
On this week’s edition of The Rabbit Hole:
My notes from Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink
A show I’m watching
A song I’m listening to
A thing you could lose hours to
My Notes from Drive:
Here are my high-level thoughts on the book:
Everything we think we know about motivation is wrong. Many of our organizations - from schools to businesses - are built around the old model of motivation ("carrots and sticks," rewards/punishment). This is an incomplete model of motivation that often has unintended (and negative) consequences. We should find ways to introduce more intrinsic motivation in our work and lives. People are happier, healthier, and more productive when they are intrinsically motivated to perform and work.
If you’re interested in learning more about rethinking motivation, click the button below for my notes.
A show I’m watching:
The Last Dance on ESPN
Michael Jordan is an enigmatic figure in and beyond sports. For many, he rests atop the “greatest basketball player of all-time” debate.
This documentary provides unprecedented access behind the scenes of the Chicago Bulls. It’s a fun and informative watch. We get to more deeply connect to a diverse cast of characters and see what it takes to build and sustain a dynasty.
A song I’m listening to:
Calling it a song isn’t exactly right. It’s a quasi-guided meditation. The song/meditation was produced by Boreta, one-third of The Glitch Mob, in collaboration with the Alan Watts Organization.
His website, alanwatts.org, is maintained by the organization which is led by his son. It is, according to the site, the “definitive online resource” for Alan’s work.
I recommend headphones for this one. I also recommend a deep dive into Alan’s work. I started with “The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are.”
A thing you could lose hours to:
The Song Maker by Chrome Music Lab
The website describes it this way:
“The Song Maker, an experiment in Chrome Music Lab, is a simple way for anyone to make and share a song.”
It’s an intuitive interface that allows you to jump right in and start making music. It’s a blast.
I recommend headphones for this one, too. Be kind to your neighbors (and roommates).
That’s it for this week. I’ll be back next Friday with updates to my website, new blog posts, and some interesting and thought-provoking things from around the blogosphere.
As always, drop me a line and let me know what interests you and what sparked your curiosity.
Talk soon,
KB