You may have heard of the concept before.
In business, when we talk about it, we say:
Done is better than perfect.
The times that we are living these days – I hear an invitation.
Listening to a podcast by Brooke Castillo a while back about perfection and progress – she calls people to change how they approach everything they do.
To move from a straight A model to a B- model.
Yes, as in the grade B minus.
And that’s where they collide – living in perfection is living at the A plus realm.
But A+ requires a ton of time, a lot of fidgeting, a lot of correcting, a lot of adjusting – you know where I am going with this. Getting there takes a TON of time and sometimes so much time that you don’t even ever put it (whatever IT might be) out into the world.
Because it gets stuck in not-quite-perfect-land.
If you’ve been guilty of this, I am looking at you.
And don’t worry – I am not pointing fingers — it takes one to know one.
B- though, B- takes majorly less of all of those things: time, effort, changes, adjustments, more changes and editing, running it by so-and-so. Way less. Way less of all of it.
And you see the product done (though not perfect) and can move to the next level.
Do the next thing.
Or things – plural – as it may be.
We have been dealt quite a hand, right?
One that nobody saw coming six months ago.
With all that’s been happening in the world these days, everyday lives have us tipping this way and that, much of it without any warning or preparation.
If you are like a lot of my clients and their families, you are going to join us in the chorus:
Life is upside down.
Even two weeks ago we couldn’t have known what today was going to look like.
Yet, here we are, in one of those situations where neither you nor I did anything in particular to get ourselves in this mess; yet it is you and I who have to clean it up.
Many of us are staying home.
Many of us are working from home.
All of our children are home from school, not going anywhere, not seeing anyone but the people who reside at the same address.
And then there is that piece of distance learning.
Let’s not forget distance learning.
Not during week one, of course, that’s the legitimate spring break that we’ve all been dying to meet face to face.
The way I see it, the reality is like this for a LOT of you and it looks like this:
You are working from home, doing and executing your full time job.
Your spouse is working from home or going to work – for some of you, potentially – doing their full time job.
Your kids – our kids – however many it might be – one, two or five – are working from home, doing their full time job – or they are supposed to be doing that – learning, that is.
And you are supposed to be the one to teach them. Full time.
Because the teacher’s job is a full time job.
And short of you bringing their teacher into your home and letting them do their job with one kid at a time, this is impossible.
It is impossible for two people to do three people’s jobs perfectly.
Who I am kidding – to even do it.
Because, let’s not forget – that last job you’ve been temporarily hired to do – one you’ve never raised your hand for, remember? that one? – you have never had any training for.
You haven’t prepared for this.
This, essentially, came with no warning.
If you would have wanted to home-school your kids, you would have done so years ago.
You are likely not home-schooling for a reason.
You might not be homeschooling material.
I know — because I’M not.
The numbers don’t add up.
It’s simple math.
You have two people and three jobs that need to be done.
And – I am not even counting all the other people – the lunch lady, the music teacher, the who knows who else – you can finish the list as it applies to you.
No matter how you slice it, you aren’t going to be able to get it done.
Unless, of course – and I beg – I beg you not to opt for this option – you would take shifts and one or both of you never sleep – I don’t recommend this because:
So, the solution is this:
B- is going to have to do.
B- is going to have to be good enough.
And it will.
For such a time as this, perfection is just not an option.
So far from it. You can’t do it all and do it perfectly. Not a chance. Not without the cost being too high.
So let me tell you this: B- will do.
And it will do a great job.
So, drop the all-mighty, all-knowing act this once. And adjust to living in the middle. Just this once. For this little while.
Because what’s more important is that you live to the end to see it through.
That you come out on the other side with as little bruising as possible.
Last, but not least – If you don’t believe me, hear THEM
And when it’s the teachers coming and saying things like:
There is no academic emergency this week. And reminding us that we are all stressed and tired. And that stressed adults can not teach stressed children – that IT is a neuro-biological impossibility —
Then, we’d better listen up.
When the administrators come — And know that this brings me so much joy, having been in academia for years before this life of therapy that I’m in) —
Having the administrators come and stand up and state that they, too, know that you, under the current circumstances (aka with kids at home), may not be able to commit to a full day of work, thanking their employees for their best efforts, noting that no sick or vacation days need be taken to make up any perceived difference –
That – that, right there, gives me goosebumps all over.
Not only do I want to shout out to all who stand behind such words.
But I want to say to you:
Listen up. Hear what they have to say. Take their reassurance.
And – just get to working and producing B-minus work.
What might that look like in your world?
I don’t know – you tell me.
It might be dinner that’s not made from scratch every. single. night of the week.
Just like you would adjust if one of you were to be travelling for two weeks and out of town. Or sick in bed, or post-surgery. Or post-giving birth. You’d drop it.
You’d adjust that week.
You’d eat leftovers more than once.
You’d order something in.
You’d spend thirty minutes less on an assignment that otherwise would take two whole hours.
I bet you can come up with more.
In fact, I bet you have lists in your head right now already, but you are feeling crummy for even thinking them. For even having those mental lists.
I want you to stop that.
How else is it that life needs to be adjusted in your world, in little ways? What else can you come up with?
I meant what I said – if EVER there was a time for this, that time is NOW.
So, whatever you do – Be well.
Take care of yourself.
Take care of your family.
Do what you can and remember what I said about those grades.
B- will do.
B- is fantastic.
And it’s more than good enough.
