Do it completely, even if not perfectly…

​​​Douglas Silas,
Specialist SEN Solicitor
8th November 2021

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In this week's SEN Update, you will find sections entitled:
​​

• JUST A THOUGHT
• NEWS ONLINE
• ​SEN NEWS

I know how busy everyone is, ​so feel free just to read the sections of interest,
​or read everything; the choice is always yours.

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,JUST A THOUGHT
Unfortunately, we often prioritise getting something done perfectly, as being more important than doing it completely.  There is a big difference though between finishing off something to your satisfaction and finishing it off to somebody else’s satisfaction. But we are often perfectionists, so should try and remember that good enough is sometimes good enough. 

It can sometimes be a bit of a slog to get to the finishing point of something, so you need to make it as easy as possible for yourself to complete something and not put friction points in your own way.  Usually, you find that some tasks naturally link to other tasks, so if you find a task to do that is not linked to something else, you can sometimes think about giving that task up. 

Additionally, you have to be careful of not unconsciously abandoning tasks or projects without realising it.  It is very important to complete something at the time if you can because, if you do not, things often go stale when you don’t finish them there and then.  Remember, you need to be realistic about timescales, since you always need a bit longer than you think to do things.  So, recognise that the first 80% of a task usually takes you 20% of the time, but the last 20% usually takes you 80% of the time. 

Also, when you realise that there is still quite a lot to do to complete a task, it can actually be quite demotivating, so always feel proud of yourself for completing something and try and reward yourself, say, by eating some chocolate or something else you like, or doing something else you like doing. It doesn’t have to be a big thing, like breaking open a bottle of something!

Whilst it is very important though to enjoy your success, it is also important to then move on, as otherwise you can get stuck in a rut without realising it.  It is all about how you define what is critical to something, as there is always a bit of fluidity between what you think needs to be done to complete something and what actually needs to be done to complete it.

Sometimes things are non-negotiable and need to be done in a certain way or by a certain time, but many things are really complete just when you feel that they are complete.  So, try to review things, or adapt and sacrifice them as you go along.  You also need to do a sanity check on yourself from time to time, to make sure that you can do what you think you are going to do within the allocated timeframe.  In fact, it is better sometimes to start at the end of the project and work backwards, in order to plan out what you need to do for something to be completed, which I know probably sounds a bit strange but, as I heard someone once say, you need to start with the end in mind!

There is also an irony that I have noticed with parents and children. Parents usually want to make things easier for their children when they do not finish tasks, so sometimes finish off the tasks for them. But actually this is not helping their children in the long-run, as it is just showing them that there is no need for them to complete tasks, or finish what they started, as somebody else will do it for them!

So this week, as we are now getting close to the end of the year, try to recognise the importance of this principle of completing something. Thankfully, we still have a couple of months to go and so can give ourselves a last push to complete things that we said we would do this year. If we manage this, we will go into the new year feeling good about ourselves, rather than beating ourselves up about not completing something by the end of the year, as we may have told ourselves!

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NEWS ONLINE
In terms of news, here are the articles that I found of interest this week:

Covid infections dip among secondary schoolchildren in England
Research and analysis - Review of time in school and 16 to 19 settings
Bill to prevent school shutdowns passes first test

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SEN NEWS
​Again, aside from clicking on the relevant links for more information, I would also remind you of the very useful resources and information provided on the following websites:
 
- IPSEA
- Council for Disabled Children
- Special Needs Jungle

I would also highlight again the magazines: SEN Magazine and Autism Eye which are both very helpful to any parents or professionals involved with children/young people with SEN.
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Keep safe until next week.

With best wishes
 
Douglas

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