Wisdom from children: turn it in already!

Last week, I was working with a student on an open-note test. They were ensuring they would turn in their best work. I say this because they would discuss what they wanted to write, write it, and then ask me to review it. But time was running out! In my head, I was yelling, “you know the answer, don’t doubt yourself! Write it and move on to the next question!” It would have been better for them to work quicker through the test and perhaps have 2 or 3 typos, than ensure their answers were perfect on the 2-3 questions they managed to answer.

I saw that they were reflecting me. Perfectionist, inner critic, self-doubt. Of course, I realized this days after the fact. What if we could see ourselves from someone else’s perspective?

What are we holding on to, reviewing countless times, and trying to perfect when it’s ready to be turned in flaws and all?