As a recovering perfectionist, I have seen first-hand in my life and business how much perfectionism can hold you back. I’ve also seen this hold my clients back time and again from reaching their goals in the timelines they’d prefer.
Many would argue that it’s important to create and deliver high quality work. And, perfectionism merely encourages us to do so. But here’s the thing, perfectionism isn’t about high quality work. Generally, it’s about stress and worry that what you’re creating isn’t, and never will be, “good enough.” This thinking often prevents us from delivering anything because we refuse to believe what we have is good enough for consumption.
Here’s a suggestion: instead of listening to your doubt and worry, try this mantra: “done is better than perfect.” When we focus on getting things done and out the door, we are able to create so much more and share our expertise more widely.
A good example of this is my habit of handwriting my blogs. I wanted to launch my blog back in 2016 but found myself paralyzed by perfectionism. Every time I’d sit down to type out a post I’d spend far more time deleting and rewriting (and then rewriting some more) than was really realistic. What I finally realized though was that I was letting my perfectionism rule the show. So I decided to figure out a way to focus on “done is better than perfect.”
On a whim, I tried handwriting my posts since that would allow for far less editing in the moment. This allowed me to draft posts in a fraction of the time – and with a fraction of the anxiety too. I also make a conscious effort not to look at posts once they’re drafted and initially edited unless my team needs a specific question answered. Focusing on only my parts prevents me from delaying the posts going live because of any fear that it’s just not “good enough.”
These shifts have allowed me to consistently create and ship more than a year’s worth of content with relative ease. During the same time period, I’ve grown a six-figure business in under 12 months. So, even if there’s a typo here or there or my headline isn’t perfect, I’m still getting my content out there each and every week.
When we are paralyzed by perfection, it is so much harder to get started and build the momentum we need to make true progress. The sheer act of getting things done motivates us to keep working and creating. But, if you never get started, you cannot benefit from that momentum.
How about a beta?
This directly plays into the concept of beta launching a product or service. I’ve seen so many people resist launching something that wasn’t gorgeously designed, packaged, and polished. So they invest a ton of time, energy, and money making it just so before they release it to the public.
But, once they do, they realize the messaging was off or there’s a small pivot they need to make in the content. Since everything was “perfectly” finished, this now requires a huge overhaul and even more time, money, and energy.
Sounds fun, right?
This is one reason I strongly prefer beta launching something instead.
A beta launch typically takes a fleshed out product idea and presents it to the audience as a way of getting more feedback. Many beta launches sell the product at a discounted rate in exchange for the market research and feedback having real live participants will provide. I’ve been a part of many beta launches with clients and find the end result is always so much better than we anticipated. By launching something less than perfect, we’re able to tweak, improve, and build something far stronger than we initially had.
The added bonus of a beta launch is that you’re getting paid to validate your new product or service idea. You’re also getting paid to create an asset for your business that will help generate future revenue. Plus, you are able to help your clients or customers start getting results faster.
So, it’s a win all around for you and them!
