When "good" is good enough: Perfectionists beware!

hawkeye.twolf

Hello. My name is Derek, and I'm a recovering perfectionist. "Hello, Derek" echos the small crowd of haggard compatriots clustered around in yellowing, cracked plastic chairs. Today I'm here to share my story. It is a tale of woe and passion and joy and redemption.

Do you belong? The first step is admitting to a problem. You know you're a perfectionist IF:

  • Your co-workers think you're brilliant but never want to work with you.
  • You avoid tasks where success is uncertain and abandon ones that don't go as planned.
  • You reject pull requests when function summaries don't start with a third person singular present tense verb.
  • You can't seem to give feedback without coming off as critical.
  • You frequently receive positive feedback but don't take it to heart.
  • You find yourself frustrated at the end of almost every day.

We'll review some of the archetypal character defects that lead to perfectionism and how they are destroying your code, your job, your business, and your life. Most vitally, we'll talk about how I came to accept these shortcomings and in doing so found freedom from them. Finally, we'll see how these lessons apply to the Drupal community as a whole and can lead to healthier, safer, more effective interactions.

Come along on a magical journey where I share my experience, strength and hope about finding good (with generous measures of peace and sanity) at the expense of perfect. Spoiler: My presentation is going to be awesome and, despite hours of futile attempt, riddled with glorious imperfection.

Session Track

Business

Experience Level

Beginner

Drupal Version