Done Is Better Than Perfect

I grew up hearing the phrase, “Practice makes perfect.” I know many of you have heard it as well. Though this was said to encourage us to keep trying, the very phrase has become an Achilles heel for many people. How many projects or ideas have you not yet presented to the world because, “It just needs to be better?” It can take a lifetime to “perfect” an idea to satisfaction, all the while you are letting opportunities pass.

Before I officially started my business, God gave me one year of practice. Just about one year to the date, I lost my job. I turned what I was practicing into a business. Now, there were many things that I needed to learn. Some of them I only realized because I started the journey of entrepreneurship. When you start applying what you, you begin to understand how much more there is to learn.  Had I waited for perfection, I would’ve missed the many lessons that ignorance (showed to me through actions) taught me.

Perfection is a form of procrastination. What is procrastination? It is any excuse that you give yourself to delay. Waiting to perfect the idea, project or whatever you may call it stops you from immediately walking in the path that was designed for you. We willingly accept that we are “just not ready yet.”  The driving force behind the delay comes down to fear. Why does it need to be perfect? Because we are fearful of what the responses will be. So, instead if stepping out, we delay, almost never feeling ready.

For many of us, perfectionism is crippling. If left unchecked, it can show up in many areas of our lives. So, how do you overcome the perfectionist’s mindset? Well, know that you can’t perfect what you haven’t begun. The very act of starting will cause you to improve. Remind yourself that everything in life goes through a process that takes time, which allows growth. Then surround yourself with people who encourage progress over perfection. Allow them to offer support, feedback, and accountability without judgment.

Today, I am three years into entrepreneurship and it is still far from perfect. Because I started, I am two books, three conferences and just about twenty clients in.  I never thought I would have the desire to speak publicly, publish a book  or even host gatherings to support other entrepreneurs. I wouldn’t have discovered any of this if I didn’t start. I’ve had many lessons on this journey, but the biggest thing that I learned is that done is better than perfect. So, start where you are.  Be willing to begin with the little that you have and grow as you go.