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This week, I’ll be speaking with a man who struggled for years to overcome a problem that is common to many people –procrastination.
Jeff Kramer is an Arizona native and civil engineer who raised four daughters with his wife, Sharon. Prior to turning 50, he worked in public services for several Arizona municipalities.
One of Jeff’s most frequent problems is a tendency to be a perfectionist, which stems from a fear that he’s not good enough. He says he has probably completed at least 30 training programs during his lifetime searching for the secret key to help him to work more efficiently to get things done.
However, it was during some one-on-one coaching sessions with a procrastination specialist that Jeff learned the root cause of that problem stems from his need for everything to be perfect in order to take the first step. Consequently, perfectionists are also procrastinators because they always need more information before they feel comfortable moving forward.
The real turning point for Jeff was accepting the fact he didn’t have to be perfect, nor did his skills have to perfect in order for him to bring value to others. After coming to that realization, Jeff wrote “The Perfection Paradox” to help people get past being stuck in perfectionism.
Today, whenever he signs a copy of his book, Jeff inscribes it with the message, “Be freed from your flaws and escape to excellence.”
In his 40s, everything Jeff set out to do had to be perfect or it never saw the light of day. Now in his 50s, he is no longer bound by that need for perfection. As he grows and learns, he can pass that knowledge on to others even if he’s only a step or two ahead them. Helping people move from their starting point forward works to build momentum for Jeff and his clients.
Today, Jeff realizes he doesn’t have to complete a dozen courses before he is confident enough in his skill or knowledge to pursue his passion. As he closes in on 60, Jeff said he loves the direction his life is heading today.
After writing the book, Jeff began work on a course called Escape to Excellence, which guides people even deeper into major themes of his book. He plans to launch a podcast soon to share interviews and insights with others.
If Jeff had to start over again, there is one thing he’d definitely do when launching his business, and that’s to get out of his own way much faster and stop worrying about whether something was good enough.
Anyone can become a teacher because each of us is an expert or very experienced in something that others are struggling to do or to understand. With the expansion of virtual and teaching platforms, Jeff said it is very easy to take any message to any audience eager to learn new things.
For example, if someone loved gardening, he or she could start a podcast and put together a tiny course to help people who have no idea where to begin in creating a garden.
I really enjoyed his closing advice when he said, “Whatever you are passionate about, if you’ve been doing it for a while, that makes you an expert. Go ahead and share what you know because there are many people just waiting for you to share your knowledge and skill with them. When you do, your joy becomes their joy, too.”
To connect with Jeff, visit www.jeffreyakramer.com. For help in overcoming perfectionism, visit www.perfectionparadoxbook.com.
If you’d like help in identifying a purpose for your life or to get help planning your next steps, I’m offering a complimentary brainstorming session to members of the Forward From 50 Facebook community. For details, connect with me on Facebook or visit www.forwardfrom50.com.
That’s all for this week’s show. Next week, I’ll be interviewing a ground-breaking couple who are personally responsible for hundreds of thousands of people living out their travel dreams in an RV. Here’s a hint. They literally knew nothing about RVing when they started and still managed to amassed one of the largest online communities in the travel lifestyle within a few years. I know you’ll be inspired by their story. Thanks for joining me for today’s episode of The Passionate Purpose podcast.
After closing his business and enduring several painful years of uncertainty regarding what to do with his life, Greg founded Forward From 50 to help men and women over 50 to live more purposeful lives by pursuing things they are passionate about. A Wisconsin native, Greg currently lives in Arizona.