One of my best practices for overcoming my perfectionist tendencies is to cultivate a mindset of devotion.
For me, this means remembering that creativity, at its core, is about a commitment I’m making to myself and to my process of *becoming a person who creates consistently*, no matter the outcome.
So rather than getting stuck on one small part, trying to make my creations perfect, or obsessing over merits and metrics, I remember I’m *creating a body of work*.
And a body of work requires me to keep moving, keep trying, and keep creating – in a spirit of devotion.
This gets me in a headspace of remembering that creativity is an ongoing, unfolding practice of becoming and stepping into stretchy identities (writer, artist, coach, etc.) – so if I’m creating and moving forward, this means I’m already succeeding and meeting my goals.
So when I put something out into the world and it falls flat or when I try something new and I fail or when I feel like my creative magic has disappeared, I return to this question: what am I most devoted to? What am I trying to create for myself at the deepest level? These questions help me find my way back to something good and true for me.
My own commitment is to live an out-loud, alive, creative life. What’s yours? And how it that vision guiding your life, process, and day-to-day?