Done is better than Perfect

First Published 27 January 2022

I was on a call sometime last year when it was said that done was better than perfect.  That it was important to take imperfect action rather than no action at all.

This resonated for me and so I wrote it on a post-it note (other brands are available) to stick on my monitor…. and then realised I had written PERFETC.  Do you know how much effort it was to not screw up the post-it note and re-write it?  I figured this was the universe having a giggle at my expense – or perhaps there was a very clear lesson in the message.  The post-it note is still on my monitor.

I joined a business book club (as if I need anymore excuses to read!!) this month’s book is Chillpreneur by Denise Duffield Thomas.  Denise talks about how perfectionism is just another procrastination tool.  The book discussed (and I am paraphrasing here…) that for those of us in business, if we don’t take action then we don’t have a business. We will have no content or offer to go out to our clients with.  If, on the other hand, we produce something with errors we can fix it, we can improve on it and we can make it better over time – at the same time it doesn’t have to be over produced/slick/TV or Cinema screen quality but it does need to exist to be made better.

We can fall in to analysis paralysis, imposter syndrome with the I’m not good enough, it’s only a matter of time until I am found out or, who will want to hear what I have to say.  Without taking action though, we will never know what could be.

We had our first meeting last night, I could have said “I’m not going as I only made it halfway through the book”, and “who is going to want my opinion when I didn’t even make it to the end”…  but I am very glad I attended in all my imperfection. 

The conversation was enlightening.  We challenged each other.  We came from different viewpoints and felt differently about the content than each other. 

That conversation helped us see the assumptions and emotions that were stirred up – and highlighted how parts could be read differently.  I also got to meet 4 people I had never met before – including a guy in Nigeria (he was sitting in the dark as the electricity frequently goes off over night! 😳) and a lady in Melbourne as well as a few in England.  So, me turning up and partaking has widened my network and made me think more – they are also keeping me accountable and I have to let them know when I finish and if I agree with their interpretation of the rest of the book!

So – where can you take action in your life / career / business right now – even if it is just one small step?

If you chose weight management and feeling comfier in your own skin as your action (wow that was a seamless shoe horn in – well it was until I made that comment 🙃) – you have about 2 days left before the doors close on my new group programme – sign up link and a quick video about it can be found below.