Have you ever gotten that “Tell me about one of your weaknesses” question during an interview?
“I tend to be a perfectionist” is one of the standard answers.
That answer is meant to emphasize that you work really hard to do a good job, but the truth is, the idea of perfection is overrated.
Especially when it comes to your money.
That’s because believing that you have to do things exactly right before you give something a try can leave you afraid to even get started. Or if you do get started, it can cause you to become discouraged and give up when things don’t go perfectly.
Now you may be thinking “of course no one is perfect”, and of course you’d be right.
But knowing something intellectually is different from knowing something emotionally. Sometimes our emotions feel otherwise. So if this describes you (and it certainly used to describe me), try to give yourself a break.
It’s normal to not have your budget work out perfectly the first time you try to make one. Or even the sixth or twelfth time. (After all, it takes a full year to experience all of the expenses that happen over the course of a year.)
It’s normal to not have a clue about investing if you’ve never invested before. Not even Warren Buffett was born with a magical knowledge of how investing works — he studied things in great detail, learned from others who had been successful, and screwed up. (And there’s no guarantee that even following Buffett will be beneficial, because by the time you hear about it, the situation has likely changed.)
Don’t give up when you aren’t perfect. Perfection is overrated. Improving your financial life isn’t.
Posted in Emotions & Money on 07.15.10 with 6 comments.
I was just thinking about this yesterday. I used to religiously keep up with our budget daily, but now I’m lucky if I even input every number into the sheet once a month. So far, this hasn’t led to any problems since we pretty much spend like we always have, but this month a few things seem a little high. Maybe I shouldn’t aim for perfection, but I shouldn’t just blow it off because it seems too late either. I need a budget balance, lol.
Oh, balance is so important. There’s a fine line there somewhere!
Lately, my goal has been to strive for *precision* rather than “perfection.” It seems like many so-called “perfectionists” are often the ones who blow deadlines, botch assignments, and produce B- work because they skip over important details…
If I can just be more precise and accurate in my work as well as finances, I think this is close enough for me!
Accuracy definitely makes a difference. I think perfectionists often blow deadlines because they also put off starting.
One of my favorite lines is, “Don’t ever let perfection get in the way of good enough.”
And good enough is good enough