OrderWITHIN's Weekly Productivity Tips are back...new and improved. Along with the return of the Weekly Tips, I'm excited to announce the launch of OrderWITHIN's new website, and new look.

I will be covering one theme per month to allow me to go into a bit more depth on each topic. Since it has taken longer than I had anticipated to complete my new look, due in part to that great enemies of productivity - perfectionism, I thought it would be appropriate to start by talking about procrastination, and specifically, perfectionism.

Regarding perfectionism, I once read that it can take up to 50% of the time it takes to complete a task or project to squeeze out the last 10% of the job. My photographer friend, Brandi Easter, told me an early mentor told her, "When the shot is 90% there, take it."

Linda Spaden & Jack Maguire in their handbook on overcoming procrastination, "It's About Time", offer 7 ways to get a handle on perfectionism.

1. Give yourself a time limit for completing a task.

2. Ask other's for help in setting a time limit if you need it.

3. Make a daily to-do list that is short and practical.

4. Get others involved letting them do things their way.

5. Make one deliberate mistake each day. (Yikes!)

6. Reward yourself for your achievements.

7. Learn the value of simply being instead of doing.

THE QUOTES

"Perfectionism is not a quest for the best. It is a pursuit of the worst in ourselves, the part that tells us that nothing we do will ever be good enough - that we should try again."
~Julia Cameron

"Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor."
~Anne Lamott