Are You Paralyzed by Perfectionism?

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The Myth Of Quality

Pablo Picasso is considered to be one of the most famous and influential artists of our time.

When you think of Picasso’s style, it instantly becomes distinguishable from other pieces of art during that time in history.

And it’s for that reason that we consider him a “creative genius”.

Pablo Picasso is one of the most average, unremarkable people who ever lived.

And if that sentence confuses or frustrates you, it really shouldn’t.

Because it means you have the potential to be your own Picasso—if you can find a way to stop thinking, and start doing, more consistently.

Only a handful of Picasso’s works are recognizable.

But do you have any idea how many pieces of art he has made?

1800 paintings.

1200 sculptures.

2800 ceramics.

and 12,000 drawings.

Dean Simonton, a college professor known for his studies on creative geniuses, found that, “Creative geniuses weren’t qualitatively better in their fields than their peers. They simply produced a greater volume of work, which gave them more variation, and a higher chance at originality.” (Originals, chapter 2)

Every person who has become successful in their given field only got to that point after thousands of hours of consistently putting out “decent” pieces of work.

The idea of “quality over quantity” is a myth spread by perfectionists out of fear of being judged.

You are only able to produce quality work when you have been consistently producing a large body of average work for a long enough time. 

This is the one trait shared by all successful people.

Not “genius”. Not “talent”. Not IQ.

Consistency.

It doesn’t matter if you think it sucks.

We are, more often than not, terrible evaluators of our own work.

Show up. Put it out. Even if it isn’t “perfect.” Even if it isn’t “finished.”

And through that, you will find the thing that most people resonate with, that catapults your success.

Another massively important factor towards staying consistent and finding success?

Having a space where you can share your work, get honest feedback, and accountability from others.

This is (unfortunately) very hard for most people to find in real life.

And that is why I created my Self Mastery School.

Self Mastery School is a place for those who want to actualize their greatest potential, strengthen their self awareness, and develop a fulfilling life philosophy.

It’s designed to help you stop the cycle of negative thoughts, and grow past your current identity that is paralyzed by perfectionism.

When you join the school, you’ll get access to:

• Full length courses/eBooks (including my Ultimate Self Mastery Course)

• Weekly coaching calls and lectures (related to self-awareness, making money online, social skills, fitness, etc.)

• An exclusive community of ambitious, open-minded people

It’s a place for those who feel like they can’t talk to anyone about self-improvement in real life, and are trying to find their tribe.

The friendships in there feel genuine.

And I have a feeling you’re going to find your tribe in there, too.

Here's some wins from our community:

I’ll see you in there.

(By the way: I got the idea for this newsletter from the book, “Originals” by Adam Grant. It’s one of the best non-fiction books I’ve read in a long time. If you wanna read it yourself, click here.)

Quote of The Week

Thanks for reading, everyone. Hope you enjoy your weekend.

-Cole