ish: The Problem with our Pursuit for Perfection and the Life-Changing Practice of Good Enough

by Lynne Cazaly

It's natural to want to do well - at work, in study, in life, to do our best.
But what happens when striving for the best becomes something more ... the pursuit of perfection?

Perfectionism is on the rise and it has dire consequences for how we think and feel about ourselves and others, how we think, live, and work. Perfectionism has been seen to cause over-thinking, over-working, burnout, sleeplessness, and mental health problems like depression and anxiety.

We can't keep going like this!

But what's the alternative if it's not perfect?

Lynne Cazaly uncovers how to think, work and achieve in clever ways adapted from the productive and creative worlds of software development ... and improvisation.

How do they get things done? How do they put their ideas out there? And what can we learn from them?

In 'ish', Lynne Cazaly
- The problem with pursuing perfection ... and why we seek it
- The mental loop that traps you into thinking perfection is the answer
- The role of incremental work, imperfection and iteration in getting things done
- The idea of 'ish' - which means somewhat, near enough - and how to apply it to your life
- 9 ways to think and work on projects, tasks or activities that provide a healthy and productive alternative to perfectionism.

Excellence, quality and continuous improvement are important. But the pursuit of perfection ... not so much.

Here's a helpful alternative that guides you to making great progress and achieving what you want in life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help

200 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 2019

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened on audio, it has great information to help tame the inner struggle.

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once you get past singing Up There Cazaly in your mind you get into the book and the summary is this -
By aiming for perfection and wanting everything to be perfect you are doing more damage to yourself than if you aim for excellence and the best you can do.
Not everything needs to be perfect.
Anyway she bangs on about that for the 200 pages, some good points, but it is is really one idea stretched out and then it is sprucing her seminars at the end, which is fine, if that is what you want.
Good points, long winded.

[Dave Stokes · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Better done than perfect!' Pareto's rule says you get 80% of the results with the first 20% of the effort, but the last 20% will take 80% of the effort. It just doesn't make sense to sweat the 'small stuff', and you relieve yourself of a ton of stress and anxiety. You'll love Lynne's illustrations, but don't miss the audio version (not perfect without them, but that's the point!) Ship it!

[Emilie Belisle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely has a great message, but a tad repetitive. It's an easy read & highly effective with its message.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened as an audiobook. A quick and breezy listen and has some good takeaway points for keeping decisions and actions focused on progress not perfection.

[Nadiia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to/read this book on Everand, but really want a printed copy.

The only thing I hated - russian quotes (2).

Otherwise, it’s a helpful book that is both relatable and interesting

[Susan Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Goodish. Am hoping this is just the first iteration as could really do with some editing and is highly repetitive. I did finish it ish but only by skipping over the last pages. The one pearl I took was “trying to be perfect doesn’t work because nobody FEELS perfect”.