…why perfection is the enemy of progress.
Are you in the middle of a project that seems to keep expanding and growing no matter how much time you spend on it?
I always used to get stuck with this kind of mentality. It stopped me from:
- Attending events because I didn’t have all the materials I might need;
- Following up on networking opportunities and contacts;
- Finishing my brochures, book, and other resources;
- Publishing programs and courses that would help others;
- Updating my website… etc.
I lost count of the opportunities I missed because of my striving for perfection, which was often a fear of judgement.
Finally, one of my mentors took me aside and said,
“Chandell, how many more times are you going to let the boat sail without you? Your first draft is better than no draft and done is better than perfect.”
He then went through my list of projects I’d been working on for more than 2 months and asked me how close to finished they were.
My responses were honest but basically added up to: ‘almost ready to…’ or ‘just waiting for…’ or ‘I still need to…’ and then he called me on it: “What would it take to finish this?” By the end of the following week I had:
- Published my book;
- Launched a new website;
- Enrolled 80 people in 3 new programs;
- Finished my speakers’ kit and sent out copies to interested prospects;
- Followed up on 13 hot prospects and enrolled 11 in coaching programs;
- Doubled my monthly income;
Not only did I have a sense of accomplishment, the momentum and energy generated by all those finished projects was enormous.
Was I 100% happy with them all?
No, but I was overjoyed at the results of my actions and nobody complained about the quality. In fact, most of them were signing up for the next program and the one after that.
So, let me ask you… are you sick of looking at boats sailing without you?
When would NOW be a good time to…
- to… send your 1st draft to an editor/ reader;
- to… publish your website;
- to… follow up contacts even if you don’t have all your materials perfect;
- to… launch your challenge, program, course;
- to… reach out and ask about that speaking opportunity;
Decide TODAY that you’re going to sign off on that project and not wait any longer to perfect it because perfection is the enemy of progress.
“When would now be a good time?”
P.S. In the Profitable Business Accelerator Program we look more deeply into why you are seeking perfection and how to get things moving forward so you develop the habit of grasping opportunity rather than missing the boat. If your business isn’t delivering the results you’d like to see, maybe you’d like some support and motivation. Our last session for 2019 starts in September: