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DONE IS BETTER THAN GOOD. Dear Ones – Those of you who regularly follow this p…
DONE IS BETTER THAN GOOD.
Dear Ones –
Those of you who regularly follow this page know that I say this all the time. The best lesson my pragmatic mother ever taught me, and the opposite of perfectionism: Done is better than good.
What she meant was: Just get it done. It doesn't have to be immaculate; it just has to get done.
I like the way George Patton said it, too.
I cannot even tell you how many plans I have "violently executed" by the seat of my pants, rather than waiting for things to be perfect. In fact, I have written every single one of my books that way — in stolen moments, as efficiently as I can, and constantly letting things slide that are not ideal.
Ben Franklin said that laws and sausages are two things you never want to watch being made. I would add to that: Books.
If we wanted to have a really boring afternoon together, I could sit down with you and point out every single mistake, shortcoming, shortcut, and problem in each one of my books. I could show you underdeveloped characters, points where I skipped over 20 years in the narrative because I couldn't figure out how else to do it, areas where I didn't do the research I probably should have done, or where I rushed an emotional epiphany. I could show you characters that I killed off simply because I didn't know what else to do with them. But you know what? Those books are DONE. All six of them: Done. And they are FINE. And for that, I am proud.
Because at some point, you really have to put the kid on the schoolbus and send him out into the world, ready or not.
And I think this goes for everything.
Make a plan, dear ones. Execute it. Violently, if you must.
But get it done, ok? The thing you came here to do. Get it done.
ONWARD!
LG
There you go….
Your daily dose of wonder right here, my Dear Ones… You, me, everyone, everyt…
Your daily dose of wonder right here, my Dear Ones…
You, me, everyone, everything: All of us made out of exploded stars.
ONWARD,
LG
…because, being woefully imperfect, I don’t really have a choice! (By the way…
…because, being woefully imperfect, I don't really have a choice!
(By the way, I just saw grace in serious action today, in a manner that awed and humbled me. The steward on my United Airlines flight this afternoon handled a freaky/drunk/tweaking/nerve-inducing passenger with such kindness, such patience, such GRACE that he diffused the entire situation…while at the same time modeling for me an example of non-judgmental competence and compassion such as I have rarely seen, and cannot even imagine reaching. Some people are so good, it is simply amazing.)
Show me how to do that, is what I pray.
ONWARD,
LG
…but above all, the gut says, “Listen to me FOREMOST.” This is advice that my…
…but above all, the gut says, "Listen to me FOREMOST."
This is advice that my dear friend Iva told me one day, when I called her in confusion about a relationship that was causing me trouble. I said, "I can't figure out if I should listen to my head or to my heart in this situation."
She said, "Neither. Your head is too full of craziness right now, and your heart is too soft and squishy and vulnerable to make smart decisions at the moment. Listen instead to your lower intestine. What does your gut have to say? Because it's never, never wrong."
So that's what I've learned to do. I will literally put my hand on my belly, just below my naval and ask, "What's the right move here?"
When situations or people make me feel even the tiniest bit sick in my guts, I back off. Right away. And when the Golden Gut says ONWARD, then onward we go.
More primitive than the heart, older than the conscious mind, deeper and more mysterious and wiser than any other navigating system we possess, the gut knows where it's at.
Think with your mind, love with your heart, and definitely smile in your liver…but always, always, always listen to your guts.
ONWARD,
LG