Progress, Not Perfection — A Mantra I’m Learning to Live By

This blog post is for me. It is my attempt to put forth something that is not well-polished or planned over a whole day. This is not going to be well-researched or overly pondered over except for proofreading and editing. It is a small but significant step in letting go off my perfectionism, which I find is making me procrastinate things in the hopes of improving it overtime and which inturn fail to debut.

Over a week of intense self-assessment and learning—through personality tests, aptitude tests, research and career planning—I've realised how important it is for me to not only understand myself but also accept myself and work from there. Instead of forcing myself to be like others, I realised that I need to nurture my own unique self and find a space that fits me and not the other way around.

It is okay to not move with the crowd if it doesn't feel right for you. It is okay to take the path that was less traveled on if the other feels too crowded and suffocating for your soul.

I am an introvert and that nature dominates a lot of aspects about me. I'm not shy, but I am reserved. I am not one for idle chatter and pleasantries, but I enjoy deep one-on-one conversations about everything under the sun. I have low social energies for crowds and big events, but I come alive in quiet and calm spaces. Solitude is my elixir of life! But that doesn't mean I don't like people or that I am anti-social. I just need regular me-time to recharge and connect with the world again.

The past few days, months, or even years, I've been trying to change myself without even accepting who I was. Pushing myself to social events that overwhelmed me did nothing but exhausted me and made me feel that something was wrong with me. The feeling that your very nature is wrong is one of the most painful experiences in life and I know that many people go through it atleast once in their lifetime.

It was this disastrous experience that prompted me to make an effort to get to know myself, and more importantly, accept myself for who I am now (not who I was in the past or who I should be in the future, but the present me). This process not only helped me in the present but also helped me think of a future based on my needs and capabilites.

The turning point in my self-pursuit was doing the Big Five Personality Test provided by Syllabus of Life. I had previously done Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)-based personality tests over the past years. But, a little research helped me realise that the Big Five Personality Traits model was more scientific and widely approved by psychologists and researchers, compared to the more popular MBTI model. (The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: Why It's Considered Pseudoscience by Jonas Enge)

The Big Five Personality Traits are-

Openness

Conscientiousness

Extraversion

Agreeableness

Neuroticism

The best part about this test is that it is free, and it mails you the result as a 19-page PDF of a detailed analysis of your personality traits, which includes -

• Explanations for what each trait means for you, including your pitfalls and powers.

• Articulates your psychological archetype and clearly points out your Superpower and your Kryptonite.

• List your Strengths and Sabotages.

• Blueprints for your six pillars - Career, Health, Wealth, Mindset, Intellect, and Relationship.

• In addition to listing out your strengths and drawbacks, it also gives long-term tips on how to utilise your strengths and manage your shortcomings.

• Personal recommendations of books and videos that feel like they were made just for you and are just what you needed.

• Under the mindset pillar, it also gives you a working mantra.

Above all, the PDF was that of a well-made PPT with spider graphs, tables, and quotes for life, which I can come back to whenever. Unlike the MBTI tests—which categorise you based on the two extremes of extroversion and introversion and tend to oversimplify human personality—this test is more accurate, reliable and provides a nuanced understanding of human personality.

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