Emma Norris - Progress Over Perfection: A Guide to Mindful Productivity

A GUIDE TO MINDFUL PRODUCTIVITY

Emma Norris

THE CREATOR OF A GIRL IN PROGRESS

F irst of all, Id like to say a big thank-you for picking up this book. I know when youve got things to do, people to see, mouths to feed (and/or plants to water), and an empire to build, it can be tough finding the time to read. So, Im honored that of all the books in the world, you chose mine!

My name is Emma Norris, and Im the founder of A Girl in Progress, an online lifestyle destination for women working on themselves, for themselves. We believe its possible to be the best version of yourself while simultaneously accepting yourself exactly as you are. Its all about striving for progress, not perfection.

But for me personally, it wasnt always that way. Because as well as a writer, an editor, a podcast host, and a cheese enthusiast, Im also a reformed perfectionist. Now, when I say perfectionist, I dont mean in the type A sense of the word. Attention to detail has never been my strong suit, and you wont find me painstakingly color-coding my diary or ironing my jeans. In fact, Im pretty much your typical type B creativeI constantly have about fifty apps open on my phone, a birds nestsize knot in my hair, and at least one mysterious food stain on my clothes. I was a perfectionist in the sense that I believed that in order to be successful, I had to be doing all of the things, all of the time.

Let me paint you a picture. Each morning, my alarm would blare at 5 a.m. The second I opened my eyes, I would reach for my phone to check my emails and social media feeds. Then, I would drag my half-asleep self to my computer and spend a few hours doing client work for my copywriting side hustle before heading to my day job. Then, instead of getting some fresh air on my lunch break, I would head to the local caf and spend an hour typing furiously to meet a client deadline. After work, I would hit the gym, come home and have dinner in front of the TV, and then work again until bed. And because even all of that wasnt enough to get everything done, I would spend most of my weekend working, too. Because, who needs a life, right?!

I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and on the brink of burnout. I was constantly grumpy and irritable and felt like everyone wanted a piece of me. But the thing wasI had nothing left to give them. My cup was empty.

I was eating takeout all the time because just the thought of cooking dinner after a long day was enough to send me over the edge. My work was suffering, too. I was making silly mistakes, forgetting appointments, and leaving deadlines until the last minute. More than once, I found myself staring down the barrel of a tight deadline and sobbing, I. Cant. Do. This!

So, why was I running around like a chicken with its head cut off, exactly? Well, like many millennial women, I was caught up in the hustle and grind mentality. I had worked my butt off to break into the competitive publishing industry, and I had everything I had ever dreamed of. I had a steady stream of clients for my freelancing business, I was writing for some of my favorite publications, and I had even started my own lifestyle blog. I was terrified that if I took my foot off the pedal for just one second, I would lose everything. So, I said yes to every opportunity that came my way and overcommitted myself.

The turning point was when I went on an amazing trip to Europe but found myself working half the time. What was the point of hustling and grinding if I couldnt even enjoy the fruits of my labor? I knew something had to change, and fast. Thats when I discovered an approach called mindful productivityand I never looked back.

If youre familiar with mindfulness, chances are you associate it with meditation or journaling in a pretty diary. And yes, these are both excellent ways to practice mindfulness, but theyre not the only ways. At the heart of this ancient practice is the idea of bringing your attention to the present moment, rather than ruminating on the past or fretting about the future. Its about observing your experience in its entiretyany thoughts, feelings, and body sensationsrather than policing yourself.

What does this have to do with productivity? Well, often when were caught up in the cult of busyness, we feel pressure to do things just because others are busy. Maybe you see that one of your competitors has started a podcast and think youd better start one too, so you dont get left behind. Or you see that a friend spent her Saturday afternoon running a half-marathon while you spent yours on the couch binge-watching Netflix and it makes you feel lazy. The result? You feel so overwhelmed by all the things you should be doing that you end up doing well, not much at all!

By bringing a mindful approach to productivity, we can tune out what our so-called competitors are doing and focus on what we need to do to move forward. And by embracing the fact that we can do anything, not everything, we can start taking imperfect-yet-meaningful steps toward our biggest goals.

Oh, and heres the crazy thing. Not only will you feel less stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed, but youll also be way more productive! A study by the health insurance company Aetna found that by incorporating healthier productivity habits, employees added an extra sixty minutes of productivity onto their week. Because, by practicing mindful productivity, you spend less time procrastinating and more time actually getting stuff done. And that means more time left over for doing the fun things you lovewhether thats running that half-marathon, binge-watching Netflix, or eating croissants in a cute caf in Paris.

Throughout this book, youll learn how to break out of the shackles of perfectionism, set boundaries in your life, create productivity habits that work for you, and still achieve your biggest goals. Youll also find handy mindful moments and takeaway tips throughout the chapters, to help guide your own productivity journey and make sure you take intentional action! Whether youre a CEO, a working mama, a side-hustlin babe, or an entrepreneur, were all on this quest for progress over perfection together. Now, lets do this!

F or many high achievers, being a perfectionist is worn like a badge of honor. Like being busy or stressed, it tends to go hand in hand with the idea of being a hard worker. But while holding yourself to an impossibly high standard may seem impressive or honorable, it can actually hold you back in life. Why? Because perfection simply doesnt exist! You wouldnt continue climbing a mountain if you knew there were no summit, right? That would be freakin exhausting and pointless. Well, relentlessly pursuing perfection is pretty much the same thing.