Hi Friend <33
You know the phrase “quality over quantity?” Well, sometimes that phrase is the exact opposite of what you should do for getting stuff done. While quality workout reps may be better than a high quantity of poor form that causes injury, hyperfixation on quality can easily hold people back from getting started in the first place and prevents them from first-hand growth!!
I’ve experienced it with my blog: for months, I didn’t post my first post because I focused on having a high quality post over just getting something out there. That pressure not only made it difficult to find an idea worthy of being my first post, but the stress fueled the classic procrastination.
It’s normal to find yourself procrastinating or feeling pressure to create something substantial. But, the way to get there could be to release that pressure from the forefront of your mind and just create.
A professor at the University of Florida divided his class into two groups: one graded on the amount of work they produced (quantity) and the other graded on the quality of their work. The quantity group received an A if they submitted 100 photos, B for 90 photos, etc. while the other group was graded on the excellence of their photographs.
Interestingly, the quantity group produced the photos with better excellence even though that wasn’t their focus! While the quality group got caught up in creating the “perfect” photo, the quantity group just got out there and produced over and over again, creating some gems along the way.
Focusing on getting lots of practice over excellence can be less stressful and create better work. This is because the pressure to produce something “good” is removed, which gives you the freedom to just create. From that practice, you create some good work, learn from the repetition, and grow from what you learn!
While people may say that quality is crucial for things like grades and reputation, I say that while that’s true, focusing on quantity over quality can get them better quality than focusing on excellence. And while creating a high volume of work may be time-consuming, creating work and learning from it is better than rotting in stress and procrastination!
So, remember the phrase if you’re not feeling your work: quantity over quantity
Always sending you the best,
Meredith
Clear, James. Atomic Habits. New York, Penguin Publishing Group, 16 Oct. 2018.