Whether we’re talking about writing a blog, a presentation, a book, or social media for business, we all strive for perfection. We look to release the perfect product or write the perfect book and we think success comes from perfection. I hate to burst your bubble but perfection is the enemy of success.
Perfection or Procrastination?
There are countless reasons we want to put off finishing a project and perfection and procrastination are two main reasons. First off, what is perfection? It is the state of being free from flaws. Of course, we all strive to release the perfect product and it’s not bad to strive for perfection. However, we can’t let our drive for perfection stand in the way of finishing our project. All too often we let our pursuit of perfection lead us into a state of procrastination. Procrastination is deliberately waiting to work on a project and while there are studies which suggest procrastination can be good, if we let procrastination hinder our ability to release our product or book we will never see success.
If there are flaws or defects in your final product you don’t want to release the product. That’s a good reason to strive for perfection. It’s about the irrational sense that our product is not good enough and this causes perfection to be the enemy of success.
What are you waiting for?
One of the main reasons we procrastinate, especially when it comes to waiting for perfection, is because we are afraid of the success our new product might bring us. Let me share three easy tips for you to defeat the need for perfection:
- Set a release date
- Work with a professional
- Accept your work
Success Tip #1: Set a Release Date
The first tip I have for you is to set a day where you are going to release your product or a date where you need to have your work finalized to move to the next step. When you have a deadline you will be more likely to finish what you start and have your project ready.
Success Tip #2: Work With a Professional
This is mainly geared towards authors but it can easily translate to others as well. When you work with a professional editor they are another set of eyes and ears you can use to mark when your book/writing project is finished. An editor will let you know when there is nothing more you can or should do to change your book or project. Sometimes, too many changes can be a bad thing! There are other professionals like coaches who can help keep you focused on your end goal.
Success Tip #3: Accept Your Work
This one is hard but you need to learn to accept your work. Not everything you do will be perfect, you will make a few mistakes but if you keep your ears and eyes open you can really learn how to make your next move even better. What you do is good enough; it’s just important you continually grow, as a person, a business owner, and an author!
Perfection Doesn’t Matter
No matter what project you are working on, understand it is not important for it to be perfect. In fact, perfection doesn’t exist. It is a adjective we ascribe to our projects to prevent our success, not further our success. How does perfection hold you back?
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