2020 - my year of swapping perfection for positivity

2020. New year. New decade. New resolutions.

No pressure.

No really, absolutely no pressure. At least not of the stressful, anxiously striving, tick-boxing kind. I’m stepping into January imperfect and positive. Because I’ve come to the realization (over some good wine and even better mountain views) that the pursuit of perfection is not only an illusion, it prevents one actually making progress.

I should have come to this conclusion sooner, to be honest, given the years of evidence at my disposal. Every time I stuff time, space and myself into neat, hard-edged boxes, add a countdown and some unrealistic expectations, the results have been explosive - and not in a good way!

The problem with timers and exacting goals is, if things go wrong, there’s very little of the box left. So here’s to a new approach in 2020, a good year to be seeing things differently. Many people believe that 20/20 vision is perfect vision, but it’s not. Its average or normal vision. So why has this perception stuck? Maybe we just respond better to the ideal of perfection. Who wants to be average, right?

Not me. But I don’t want to be perfect either. To be continuously resetting the base. Building new boxes. It's exhausting and one never actually gets off the ground.

So this year, I’ve decided to opt for setting "coordinates" and not resolutions. You can fail resolutions but you can always course correct on coordinates. That’s the difference between positivity and perfection. So here are the 4 co-ordinates I'm going to steer by in 2020, in no particular order:

1. value the intent of any action as much as its output. Not every interaction can generate a positive outcome. Nor every business decision lead to success. However, if my intent going in was genuine and invested, if I applied the best of my talent and skills, then I’m going to bank the experience as a positive one. Not perfect, but still positive

2. See setbacks as setups:  Yup, I know it sounds like wishful thinking but hear me out. There is a positive in every disappointment, but it sometimes takes courage and discipline to see it. When I took my first steps into consultancy, many of my original business leads dried up, almost overnight. My initial impulse was to go running back into the relatively secure arms of a salaried job. But, thankfully, resilience kicked in (supported by a healthy dose of natural stubbornness). Instead I used the experience as an opportunity to expand my network and scope of services far beyond what l had originally envisioned. A setback became a set up.

3. Assume the best in other people. This is not about being naive, not doing the necessary checks and balances. It’s about being fearless and generous in relationships with others. About working from a place of good intentions and expecting the same back. Yes, I have been let down in the past, but I’ve also being gifted with amazing mentor-ship, wisdom, friendship and life lessons. Both experiences, the good and the bad, have taught me that it is better to go through life with open hands than clenched fists. A truism, but positivity really does breed positivity. So this year, I'm expecting people (including myself) to be positive, not perfect.

4. Be an expert at learning. I used to strive to know everything, at least in my field. Perfect understanding. Perfect breadth and depth. Perfect retention. Perfect recall. An impossible goal and also a dangerously counter-productive one. Learning is the gateway out of any comfort zone, so I’m looking forward to knowing less in 2020 and learning more.

Wishing everyone a positive new year!