What is the incentive for working hard?
I've gotten over perfectionism with the motto:
"Everything worth having is worth working for." and by finding out how wonderful it is to improve at something that you initially suck at.
So, I am willing to cook terrible tasting healthy dinners, work hard on an organic garden and see it fail, and work on brain teasers without feeling dumb, because I recognize I always get better with practice.
That said, you may have a hard time convincing him of the value of hard work and mastering something, when grades are what is most valued in schools...
The only reward you get in school comes from playing it safe so you can get A's in everything. You could spend all your time delving deeply into different subjects, too, but you'll still get the same grade as the guy who just studied the book and does well on multiple choice tests.
I still struggle with this to some extent (I'm the one with dust all over my house because I haven't time to dust properly - really, it would be better to do what I can do in 5 mins sometimes! Sometimes a job worth doing is worth doing badly :-)
Lol. I tell myself this is why I haven't cleaned my house, either. It might be true, but it could also be that no matter how many times I mop, sweep, and do the dishes, there is still more mopping, sweeping and dishes to be done! This doesn't inspire me to do chores...
