Perfectionism & Motivation

Yeah, same here. But I think it's a good trait, it keeps me striving to the next level all the time. Just take a look at all the crappy designers/developers that stopped trying when they got to a certain level, you'll see portfolios and designs that seem stuck in the early 00's.

It sucks when that perfectionism is followed by a lack of motivation. But you know, believe in yourself and all that stuff.

I talked to a very famous designer once and he told me that he never feels satisfied with anything he does. It has stuck with me since I heard it because I know how successful he's been throughout his entire career.

You've described me to a T. I often think that I'm kidding myself; that maybe these courses were a waste of money and that this isn't what I should be doing. And there are also days when all I can focus on are these courses, and days when I couldn't care less about them. You're definitely not alone in this. Advice would be great.

Yep, me too.

Remember that you are your worst critic. Because you are so involved in anything you make, you will see things (flaws, imperfections) that others don't see. It is a good thing, as long as you don't let it drive you nuts. :)

Also, on the theory and tutorials bit: I am guilty of reading everything about web development and doing none of it. But I'm slowly learning that there is no substitute for actually doing something. Theory will only take you so far. For example, you can study a foreign language and read all the textbooks that you can find, but eventually you have to just start talking in that language. It's the only way to really become fluent.

I think we all get down on ourselves from time to time, so you're not alone. The fact that you're here, learning something and doing something, is a lot farther than a lot of people ever get. So be proud of that when you feel stuck. Complacency is your enemy, not perfection.

Thanks for the responses. It seems that I'm not the only person feeling like this, and it's not uncommon to feel over critical....that helps me feel a little better now :)

Some wise advice about actually 'doing' rather than just reading.....I need to concentrate on narrowing down the large list of "to-do's", and give myself achievable targets (my time at the PC is limited, and I can actually get nothing done, as I don't focus on one task at a time). I also think I need to make my studying/working environment more comfortable/workable, as currently it's a pokey side room, cramped, with an uncomfortable chair. I think this is also not helping my motivation to get on and 'do' stuff.

Complacency is your enemy, not perfection This is a great quote!

I must admit that I've been feeling this a lot. I'm only a couple months in on my wordpress theme and custom web page business and I am considering starting to look for a web design job and I always feel like I am not good enough or that I'm wasting my time trying to become good enough to be trying to make these steps. But then I have friends who are in the web business but not in the design business (aka they see website brilliance but can't do it themselves) who actually look at my work and listen when I feel like I'm just kidding myself and remind me of some of the things I have done. And with the motivation, something people have told me on some days when I just have none is just let it go for 1 day. Don't stress about it and do something fun. Then you often find your motivation the next day when that time comes around. Sometimes the lack of motivation is just your brain's way of saying that it needs a break. That's not to say you should slack everyday or anything, just that sometimes when you push and push and push for days on end you need a day or 2 to recharge the batteries and motivation. Hope that makes sense and I didn't babble the point away.