From 017390b21d352c552ec880ff97df64ca9d65d1cd Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Miguel de la Cruz Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2024 10:42:27 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] Adds post "Embracing imperfection" --- content-org/blog.org | 68 +++++++++++++++++++++++++ content/blog/embracing-imperfection.md | 69 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2 files changed, 137 insertions(+) create mode 100644 content/blog/embracing-imperfection.md diff --git a/content-org/blog.org b/content-org/blog.org index dc64c1b..3d27a15 100644 --- a/content-org/blog.org +++ b/content-org/blog.org @@ -2,6 +2,74 @@ #+hugo_section: blog #+options: author:nil +* Embracing imperfection +:PROPERTIES: +:EXPORT_FILE_NAME: embracing-imperfection +:EXPORT_DATE: 2024-06-31 +:END: + +Lately, I've been doing some exploratory work, both with my pet +projects and as part of my job, and I've struggled with it a bit more +than I expected. It could be because of my personal circumstances (I'm +more tired and distracted than usual), but I think it has more to do +with self-awareness and how it affects my approach to problem-solving. + +Back in my college days, I was much more relaxed about how I tackled +my assignments. There wasn't a lot of consistency, but the process +more or less followed these steps: + +- Read the problem a couple of times until you fully understand it. +- Draft a possible solution, iterate a couple of times until it looks + good enough. +- Do something else and forget about the problem completely until the + last responsible moment (or just the last possible moment, as + responsibility was sometimes lacking). +- Sit down and fully focus on the problem until you solve it, often + for more hours than was healthy. + +This wasn't the best way to get through college, but it was the one I +opted for. As imperfect as it was, it only required me to focus on the +problem while I was working on it, I could free my mind during the +rest of the time. And most importantly, /it worked/. I got good grades +and enjoyed most of the time I spent learning. + +Now, back to the present day, things have changed a bit. I'm older +(duh), I have more experience, and I'm much more aware of all the +things I don't know or am not an expert on. So every time a problem +comes my way, my brain uses the first cycles to diligently list all +the areas I need to explore and all the books I should read before +even thinking about starting to solve it. + +This should help me have a well-informed, structured, and reasonable +amount of knowledge so I'm able to solve the problem to the best of my +ability, right? + +... + +right? + +Well, wrong. Usually, there are two possible paths from here: either I +have a proper amount of time to invest, so I start studying and +building that knowledge, and at some point, I surrender to the +evidence that I can't learn everything about the subject before the +deadline inevitably arrives; or, if I don't have much time, I have to +come to terms with the fact that I'm going to face the problem knowing +that I'm not ready, which is basically the same outcome as in the +first case but without even starting to prepare. + +This might be obvious for most people: we are not perfect, we are not +expected to know everything about something to be able to work on +it. Not only is imperfection normal, even failing is. But lately, the +fear of making mistakes, of not doing everything to the best of my +ability, has been an issue for me more often than not. Maybe it's a +mild case of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analysis_paralysis][analysis paralysis]], who knows. + +I have to go back to my university days and remember the mindset I had +then: that most of the time, the stakes are not that high, that good +and honest effort is great even if it's not perfect, and that there +are other (most of the time more important) things in life besides the +problem that I currently have in front of me. + * TODO ¿Por qué escribo? :PROPERTIES: :EXPORT_FILE_NAME: por-que-escribo diff --git a/content/blog/embracing-imperfection.md b/content/blog/embracing-imperfection.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..207c962 --- /dev/null +++ b/content/blog/embracing-imperfection.md @@ -0,0 +1,69 @@ +--- +title: "Embracing imperfection" +date: 2024-06-31 +lastmod: 2024-07-31T10:42:01+02:00 +draft: false +--- + +Lately, I've been doing some exploratory work, both with my pet +projects and as part of my job, and I've struggled with it a bit more +than I expected. It could be because of my personal circumstances (I'm +more tired and distracted than usual), but I think it has more to do +with self-awareness and how it affects my approach to problem-solving. + +Back in my college days, I was much more relaxed about how I tackled +my assignments. There wasn't a lot of consistency, but the process +more or less followed these steps: + +- Read the problem a couple of times until you fully understand it. +- Draft a possible solution, iterate a couple of times until it looks + good enough. +- Do something else and forget about the problem completely until the + last responsible moment (or just the last possible moment, as + responsibility was sometimes lacking). +- Sit down and fully focus on the problem until you solve it, often + for more hours than was healthy. + +This wasn't the best way to get through college, but it was the one I +opted for. As imperfect as it was, it only required me to focus on the +problem while I was working on it, I could free my mind during the +rest of the time. And most importantly, _it worked_. I got good grades +and enjoyed most of the time I spent learning. + +Now, back to the present day, things have changed a bit. I'm older +(duh), I have more experience, and I'm much more aware of all the +things I don't know or am not an expert on. So every time a problem +comes my way, my brain uses the first cycles to diligently list all +the areas I need to explore and all the books I should read before +even thinking about starting to solve it. + +This should help me have a well-informed, structured, and reasonable +amount of knowledge so I'm able to solve the problem to the best of my +ability, right? + +... + +right? + +Well, wrong. Usually, there are two possible paths from here: either I +have a proper amount of time to invest, so I start studying and +building that knowledge, and at some point, I surrender to the +evidence that I can't learn everything about the subject before the +deadline inevitably arrives; or, if I don't have much time, I have to +come to terms with the fact that I'm going to face the problem knowing +that I'm not ready, which is basically the same outcome as in the +first case but without even starting to prepare. + +This might be obvious for most people: we are not perfect, we are not +expected to know everything about something to be able to work on +it. Not only is imperfection normal, even failing is. But lately, the +fear of making mistakes, of not doing everything to the best of my +ability, has been an issue for me more often than not. Maybe it's a +mild case of [analysis paralysis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analysis_paralysis), who knows. + +I have to go back to my university days and remember the mindset I had +then: that most of the time, the stakes are not that high, that good +and honest effort is great even if it's not perfect, and that there +are other (most of the time more important) things in life besides the +problem that I currently have in front of me. +