5 Ways to Fail at Perfectionism
We both claim the label “perfectionist” honestly. So today, we want to talk about five ways to overcome perfectionism.
Listen to this post! Click a player to hear George & Mary-Lynn on The BIGG Success Show Podcast. (Duration 3:37)
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Understand why you can’t afford it
Entrepreneurs can’t afford to be perfectionists. Perfectionism will keep you from launching your product, starting your business, beginning a marketing campaign, and everything else you need to do to grow your business.
You don’t have to get it perfect. You just have to get it done.
We see this with the lean startup movement. Start sooner, rather than later. Get a product launched; don’t worry if it’s not perfect. Just make it good.
Because you will learn more once you start. Then you won’t waste time perfecting things that aren’t important to your customers.
Make it visual
Perfectionism is a tough habit to break. It’s something we perfectionists admire in ourselves and in others.
But it can get in the way of progress. So make a list of ways perfectionism has hurt you or could hurt you in your present endeavor. Post this list in a conspicuous place, like above your computer screen. When you feel yourself putting in extreme effort for minimal returns, look at the list to remind yourself it’s time to move on.
Think “good enough for who it’s for”
[George] “My dad was the poster boy for perfectionists. I could tell you story after story. But every once in a while, he would say, ‘It’s good enough for who it’s for.'”
[Mary-Lynn] I love that quote; it makes me laugh. But it makes an important point – Do your best. Give it your all. But default to getting it done for the people who need it done.
Set a deadline and keep it
Having a deadline focuses your attention on getting it done the best you can, given the time frame you have established. If possible, get your project done and then go back and improve it. But make sure you stick to your deadline.
Enlist support
Have someone who is not a perfectionist look at your work. If they suggest improvements, go ahead and make them. But if they tell you that it’s good enough, then consider it done and move on!
Use these five techniques to fail at perfectionism! It’s a failure that leads to BIGG success!
Are you a perfectionist?
This show wouldn’t be good enough if we failed…
Until next time…
Direct link to The Bigg Success Show audio file | podcast:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/biggsuccess/00821-080412.mp3
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