Result Obsession Syndrome

“Life happens in those moments when you are planning for the future”, a famous quote, simple yet profound, which implies life is quietly slipping by in the moments while you are loudly planning for the “ future life”. The future life doesn’t exist at the moment. It’s not guaranteed. We get so busy and anxious, anticipating the moments that do not exist.

 The more we plan our lives, the more it gives us a fake illusion of working on our goals. It provides us with a source of fake dopamine boost. In reality, we are not actually planning; instead, we are waiting to seek permission, Permission from others, from external sources. Surety that we will succeed, that we won’t fail utterly or disappoint ourselves. However, the only permission we require is the permission from ourselves, not others. We are waiting for a waving green flag from the universe to start our work. However, it is important to act on those signs when they arrive rather than dismissing them.

 

This is termed “Analysis paralysis”. It is not laziness; it is being frozen by overthinking. Overthinking, which is caused by fear of making mistakes or messing up. It is being stuck in the loop of a plethora of “what if” scenarios in your head. It is an ordeal combination of fear, overthinking, and wanting things to be flawless. This acts as a catalyst that stops us from taking any action towards our goals. However, the ironic truth is that clarity comes from action, not from planning or thinking more.

In the long run, imperfect or flawed work is better than no work. Or as they say, something is better than nothing. Rather than waiting for a “right moment”, “right time”, “more confidence”, more well-equipped with better knowledge and better resources. This is because confidence does not come from sitting and waiting; it does arrive before actions, and it comes after the action-taking process. It is not a prerequisite, but it is a by-product of working towards the desired reality.

 You need to stop getting scared of what you want and give yourself the permission to pursue it, which you so desperately seek from others. This is the only way to break free from the clutches of perfectionism. This blog is also a by-product of years of waiting for the perfect moment, platform, and opportunity to share my views. Who knows, your next “imperfect” work may provide much-needed value and insight to millions of people :)