Unlocking progress: Reflect before you seek feedback

Dive into the digital world—programming, design, user experience—and you’ll hear: feedback, feedback, feedback… seek feedback.

Feedback from colleagues, mentors, bosses, users.

I need to tell you this—take it easy!
Feedback can wait.

Let me say that again: feedback can wait.

When you’re starting something new, it’s expected you’ll make mistakes. However, you’re not dumb. You’re a mature person, capable of recognizing some of the mistakes you’ll make. You’ll see when something just doesn’t work.

For example, in design, you might notice that a photo you used doesn’t match the rest of the design, or it’s blurry. You have awareness and intelligence; you can spot many things on your own.

Don’t rush for feedback.

Reflect on yourself. Seek your inner feedback.
How? Ask yourself a few questions:

1. Does this work?
2. Do I like this?
3. Does this add value?
4. Is this worth praise?
5. Can anything be improved?

See? With just these five questions, you can change so much.

Listen. Hear your own answers. Enter self-critical mode and listen.

I believe in you. I know you can hear the thoughts that guide you further.

Improve things. Then ask new questions.

Only when you reach a point where you don’t have answers anymore—then seek feedback.

You’re intelligent. Use that and trust yourself more.

There’s one trap, however. The trap of getting stuck in a never-ending loop of perfectionism that stops you from making progress by finally delivering your work.

But we’ll talk about that in another post.

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