WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL? STOP THINKING YOU HAVE TO BE PERFECT
If you follow me on Snapchat (abranchofholly), you’ll know that over the past couple of weeks I’ve been feeling really overwhelmed with my workload. I had lot more on my plate than usual, and since then I’ve been trying hard to redefine productivity and be smarter about how I work.
One thing that made me begin to make these changes was something my mum said when I was rehearsing for one of my recent workshops: “You’re a perfectionist, aren’t you”?
I never thought of myself as a perfectionist, but when it came to this, I could totally see where she was coming from. And I decided then that maybe that’s the reason I’m struggling. Maybe I felt so overwhelmed with my workload, because I was seeking perfection with everything and so wasn't moving forward. Instead, I should’ve focused on practising and taking smarter action.
I see a lot of bloggers say ”there’s never a perfect moment to do something”, and they’re right. If we waited for the perfect time to do absolutely everything, we’d be exhausted and wouldn't get done what we wanted to.
It got me thinking that if I had waited for the ‘perfect time’ to start this blog, it might not exist right now. I might’ve still been waiting.
We usually think:
I need to wait until I’ve done more planning.
I need to wait until I’ve got more time.
I need to wait until I’m ready.
Sound familiar?
I believe there is no such thing as perfect. A perfect person, the perfect time - nothing. Plus, isn't each person’s view of what ‘perfect’ is different? If you wait for the perfect time to do something, all those great ideas rolling around in your mind right now will never happen. You won’t be successful that way.
I know that sounds harsh, but really, it’s true. If your version of success relates to an idea that you’re waiting for the perfect time to start, then you’ll never get that success, will you?
Perfection can also be the enemy sometimes. It can be fear - because why are we so afraid of putting something out into the world that isn't perfect?
I can share my reasons why. What you’re putting out there is yours and it’s come from your heart. It’s a piece of yourself, your creativity and your mind that you’re releasing into the world. This takes some doing and can’t be done by everyone. But the people that can do this are the ones that will see the biggest results.
We’re afraid of people picking out the bad parts. We’re afraid of no one liking it. We’re afraid of it not doing “well”.
But what I say is this: what matters more - what other people think? Or what you think?
You might pause when answering this question, and yes, our readers are a huge part of the growth of our online presence.
But when you’re creating something, surely you have to love the idea first before you present it to everyone else?
Surely your passion for the project and the pride you feel when you release it into the world is the best feeling. And people telling you they love it too is a big added bonus?
That’s exactly how I felt when I launched the #BloggingBreakthrough eBook.
I never thought I’d be able to create an eBook and the fact that I did is a huge achievement for me. That feeling of hitting save for the final time is a moment of happiness I can always go back to.
The great feedback from my readers, the testimonials and the love were all major bonuses and they continue to be just that, every single day.
So next time you don’t know whether to take the next step, or an even bigger step, then take a beat and pause. Don’t think of it as you’ve always thought of it. Think of it as something different. Think of it as an opportunity to learn and get results, rather than to be perfect. Think of it as a chance to practice what you know and learn.
If you sat still, you’d never learn anything. But if you take small actions every day, that’s when you can learn.
If you sat still, you wouldn't build your confidence. But if you’re learning, then your confidence will grow.
And if your confidence grows - that’s when you find success.
It doesn’t come down to your idea. And it doesn’t come down to being perfect. It comes down to you.
So what have you been putting off? What baby step can you take today to get towards a bigger goal?
Because one step is really all you need.