I used to obsess over grades. I actually dropped a college course or two when it looked like I was only going to get a C, instead of an A. I’ve seen other students actually drop out of college altogether over the lack of perfection.
A guest speaker for senior seminar once gave a lecture about how an A+ grade is not always the best goal. In fact, some employers might look at a straight-A record and wonder about whether the graduate is able to balance their life.
It was a difficult lesson for me.
I’ve struggled with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder all my adult life. There were even a few signs in childhood. I can’t stand to have my fingernails brushed up towards the cuticles. I count when I’m anxious. I need patterns.
These are the small things. I could make an extensive list, but that’s not the point.
I composed my last #ROW80 post in a certain format, with a breakdown of word count etc.
It bothers me that I don’t have that ready for today. My OCD desperately wants to have a similar post, formatted the same way, with updated statistics for everything.
But I have learned to deal with my OCD. I still feel the urge to have things a certain way, but I am also able to choose to move ahead even when I am not able to have everything lined up perfectly.
It has been a busy few days. I did some writing in a notebook, and haven’t transcribed it. There have been blog posts and a little fiction, but I need to find a better way to keep track of it all. I think if I counted it all up, I might be close to my goal of 1k/day, but I’m not sure.
How’s everybody else doing with their Round of Words?
The shortlink for this post is http://wp.me/p1qnT4-eO
AmyBeth Inverness 
My first week has gone okay. This is my first ROW80 experience. I’ve hit my word goals every day so far, except I’ve yet to start my ROW for Sunday. Life gets in the way sometimes- that’s the genius of the open goal structure of ROW. Good luck this week!
Thanks! Good luck to you as well. I do love the open structure, and I have days where I do a lot more, and days when I do less. It’s all good in the long run.
I tend to want to push myself too hard as well. Then I get stressed out and can’t get anything done. This is my first ROW80 and I set small goals. So far, the small goals have been so much mroe successful and encouraging than the much larger goals. 😀
I know exactly what you mean about pushing too hard, then getting stressed out and not getting any of it done. I have a history of making plans so grandiose there’s no way to succeed. It is a fine line between having things nice and organized, and being so rigid that I sabotage myself. And now it’s Wednesday and time for another post!