Zero Margin Stress

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(Edited)

Hardly would I say I am a perfectionist, yet I do have a thing for high standards and for plans to go as designed. That's me when I'm passionate about whatever it may be. I have often found that to help me in many situations to succeed, but there was sometimes a hitch that caused me a lot of stress.

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During my time as class governor for my classmates at the university, I was often frustrated. Managing people is much different than when you have only yourself as the only variable to worry about. And it took me a while to realize something I could have done differently for my sanity.

When we'd have class presentations to make—usually a defense for some project we did—for example, I would need to organize it. And that often included preparing refreshments for our lecturers, getting everyone's work tendered beforehand, and things like that. There's always one comma, full stop, or question mark. Somebody or some people would make it harder for me.

At the end of the day, things wouldn't go as planned and would just stress me. Ultimately, I'd be feeling weary when it's time for my own presentation. Thankfully, I still always nailed it. I think. But why stress, though?

It broke me down one time. The stress stretched me hard because I let it. I then began to realize with time that I will not always be able to control everything. All I can do is what I'm only able to do, and to do that as best as I can.

So here's what I do now. After all's been done and said in preparation, and some misalignment happens out of my control, I just smile and embrace the moment. I take it as it is, only salvaging if possible. What happens after is freedom.

When I take an objective look, I see that I would probably be the only person who's seeing what's not going right, and everyone else is just living in the moment. Why then should I stifle my enthusiasm or allow myself to be weighed down by something only I am noticing? Nah, I'm just going to accept that perfection is an ideal, and ideals aren't practical.


Image(s) belong to the author

Posted Using InLeo Alpha



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The practical work or group presentations for me were the worst thing that happened to me in college. In my case I had to take care of work that my classmates had not even started to do and to make it worse the professor said that in a real job, if someone does not do anything you have to get used to it and complete it yourself what that person has not done because we are supposed to be versatile and cover someone else's position.

Obviously it's something that generated stress and made me hate that subject. Aside from not enjoying it at all. To make it worse, it was 2 levels, which luckily I completed by my own effort, no thanks to others.

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As much as those words from your professor suck in such moment, it's the bitter truth about reality. In reality, you'd have to deal with life and its contingencies regarding people. But it's good thatyou aced the2 levels anyway. I'm curious what course that was, though.

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I had done transversal computing I and II (Required subjects at university). In each of them we are given practical work to be done in a week, enough time to do them, but I always arrived at the last day and nobody had done anything, they were absent or dropped out of the course. And since I also had other subjects to study, it was a lot for me, but I was able to do it on my own.

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Yeesh... Those were quite the classmates. I'd have struggled, too. Glad you managed through all that.

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Perfection is an ideal, and ideals aren't practical.

is it a quote written by you? It seems the line is so good and represents the reality. The last line was the bold line and I liked it most.

I thought to write something different but because of the last line, I think my comment became different.

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Is it a quote written by you?

Actually, yes, and it's inspired by the Carnot cycle, an ideal and impractical cycle I learned about in thermodynamics class.

...because of the last line, I think my comment became different.

It happens, man. Lol

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