#292 – When do high standards turn into "sticklerism?"

Caring for quality is one thing; putting others down because we think our work is better is another. That's what I've recognized in myself lately.

In my AI project's iterative revision system, I noticed sometimes I wasn't just detecting errors––I was trying to prove my work was superior.

When I caught myself, in front of a task, clucking my tongue, shaking my head, and raising my eyebrows, I knew my mindset had been hijacked.

It wasn't my True Self serving the project. It was my Ghost of Need to Prove, trying to show my work was better because... I thought I was better (oops).

But in reality, the Ghost's lie with its puffed-up sense of self-competence, made me miss errors.

Maybe my GoNtP was really asking: do you want this job? It certainly had a point: either I accepted and served the moment, or I quit.

I decided to surrender to the moment. Therefore, I needed to see the real people behind the code-names.

Once, when a reviewer had made an egregious mistake, I remembered they'd mentioned recently getting married. I pictured them working instead of honeymooning and felt compassion––we're all trying our best, I thought.

Being aware of my "sticklerism" makes it easier to spot, but I need to remain vigilant or I'll fall into its trap.

When did you spot and let go of your "sticklerism" and with it, become more present in your work and life?

Love,

Carolina