Done Is Better Than Perfect
I have started this blog post at least 5 times, and each time it has a different topic. I can’t seem to get the words to flow today. Each time I think I’m on a path, my mind takes me in a different direction that brings me back to the beginning. I’m struggling with creating language that captures where my mind is currently at (which, let’s be honest, is all over the place).
So this prompted me to remember a little mantra that I find helpful. I think it will be especially helpful for those who get caught up in the need to perfect everything they do, or have every aspect of a new project researched before they start, or find themselves struggling to begin something. That something new could be a habit, a business, a blog post, or a new service offering. The mantra is, “Done is better than perfect.”
I can hear the perfectionists on their keyboards clacking away to reply that I am in fact WRONG about that. As a recovering perfectionist and people-pleaser, I’m here to tell you that you will make so much more progress in your life if you focus on executing and not perfecting. You’ll learn from your mistakes early and often if you start taking action and get things done. You’ll uncover new skills and interests if you allow yourself to move forward in messy action, instead of wondering how to perfectly get started. You will put yourself in the company of other people who are making things happen in their lives, and not just talking about them.
We learn a lot about ourselves when we start taking action on something. That business we’ve always thought about starting moves from a “what if” to a “let’s see what happens if…”. That health journey we’ve always wanted to start moves from a “I’ll get to it someday” to a “There is no better day than today.”
When you take action, you make progress. When you make progress, you grow. When you grow, you learn. When you learn, you level up.
When we focus on getting something done, we’re focusing on consistency of action. We’re focusing on how we can continue to show up for ourselves and our habits and our work every single day. We’re focusing on allowing ourselves to be new at something and to gain knowledge through our experiences along the way. We’re focusing on opportunity and growth.
The next time you’re struggling with getting something just right, remember done is better than perfect.