the 80% Rule as a Rule of Thumb

The 80% Rule.

I’m a perfectionist. I don’t know how I got that way, except from a very young age I admired beautifully made things, whether it was a sewn garment or a museum masterpiece. These craftspeople, whether they were my neighbours or renowned artists, were my rockstars, and I wanted to emulate them…

When I lived at the St. Germaine's group home in Corona, Queens, New York, I suggested that we all go to the cloisters. This is a museum in New York that is a collection of monasteries brought over from France and other parts of Europe. The first time I went there I was in elementary school. It made an impression on me then.

We residents of the group home were all sitting around one day wondering what to do, and I suggested the Cloisters. I wanted to see someone there. I had met him the first time, and I used to think about him, confused about how to be the kind of person he suggested me to be.

Anyway, the girls said yes, and off we went (without the nuns or the counselors) , It was so much fun. They really liked it, the tour and the lunch at the museum's restaurant.

A few days later, they would thank me for suggesting that we go there.

And I met my friend there, and I remember perhaps and vaguely, praying to him silently. It's vague...but I remembered making some sort of a determination there.

It was an interesting time at the group home and I remember being so afraid to be out on my own, to age out of the group home….I guess I was one of the lucky ones, I got a scholarship to Denver University.

Currently, My day job is housecleaning for a wonderful lady, Rita, who owns the Rosemont Inn here in Utica, NY. Her manager and my supervisor Lulu are the most wonderful people to work for. Rita, one day called me up (she knew me from when I sold my bread at the farmer’s market), and invited me to lunch. After lunch, I realized that I could possibly work for her, even as I was starting my business. Well, she asked me to work for her, and I said yes. I was afraid to say yes because I thought it would have a negative effect psychologically on my own business plans. But I said yes.

So I work for her as a housecleaner, and she is absolutely amazing…because she invited me to participate in a program for people who are moving out of their comfort zones in life. It’s an accountability group, and they meet regularly and I’m excited to be a part of it…

It's a group for Entrepreneurs. And what is an entrepreneur? A person who organizes manages. and assumes the risks of operating a business. That's me!

This entrepreneur group is spearheaded by Dr. Benjamin Hardy, and his colleague Dan Sullivan. They teach you to strive for perfection, but don't let perfect sabotage your very good, awesomely good, and very beautiful thing that you are creating.

The perfectionist in me would have waited so long until I was "perfect",

Thinking about launching my business on the 14th of September, at the Mediterranean Festival, which is the 1st day of the Church Calendar year , made me realise how I just took a leap of faith, and how actually every day is a leap of faith.

So my 80% rule is to continue to learn how to mindfully do things each step of the way, and let God do the rest.