Goal!

By HD Silversmith

That's a huge sigh of relief that you heard from me several hours ago. 

Yup, I've finished the draft of the academic article to which I'd dedicated the month of June. Five days later than I'd originally planned but still basically on time. 

And it's such a relief.

Not because it's finished, perfect.  Quite the contrary: it will require some basic tidying on Monday before I can send it first to a colleague by end of day and then out (hopefully at the end of next week) to find a home in a peer-reviewed journal.

Rather, the relief comes from my sense that, though it's imperfect and flawed, I believe it's good enough. Which is to say, I think it's good enough to get accepted somewhere in its current state, even though it's also entirely likely that editors will ask for revisions before ultimately publishing it. I believe it's good enough even though I see its many weaknesses and probably underestimate its strengths. I believe good is Good Enough.

This is progress for a perfectionist like me.

Perfectionism is its truest form is rarely about high standards.  Beneath those high standards lie a lot of insecurities and a desire to micro-manage and control outcomes and impressions. So the fact that I'm willing to send this baby out into the world before I would normally feel it's entirely ready also means that I'm willing to say that I'm good enough as I am,l imperfections and all.

Hey, publish or perish, you know what I mean?  Practicality can nudge us forward when we would otherwise stand still.

Now? I'm settling down with some entertaining fiction and enjoying the rest of my July 4. I've earned it.