Perfection-ism Syndrome
I want to address something that lurks in the wings, waiting to suck you in…and it’s a real productivity killer: Perfection-ism Syndrome.
“I can’t do the next thing until this task is just right!” If you find yourself saying this, you’ll have a really hard time being efficient and productive.
Successful entrepreneurs must be able to juggle multiple tasks and while the details are important, getting it “just right”…doing things “perfectly” will slow progress and hold you back.
Consider these tips, they’ll help you get real about the Perfection-ism Syndrome:
Tip #1: You’ll never do it perfectly. Nobody does anything perfectly. But you can do things very well. You can do great work, you can do your very best…and that’s all that’s required to make real, measureable progress.
Tip #2: Accept the fact that you have to complete steps simultaneously. There will always be at least 2 or 3 three things happening at once. You’ve got to be able to move from one task to the next without being afraid that one of the steps wasn’t done perfectly. A trusted advisor or coach can give your work the second look, the added perspective that will shed light on some obvious changes that can be made. Even then, it won’t be perfect!
Tip #3: Do good, quality work and your inevitable imperfections will be forgiven. When you focus on quality and trust the methods of experts who have already “been there” you can rest assured that your efforts will be well received by your target market.
So remember, there’s really no such thing as perfection in business. You’ve got to manage multiple tasks, and focus on quality.
You’ve got permission to be less than perfect. Trust me, imperfection is a hallmark of a great entrepreneur!
May 4th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
There is a fourth step.
Be willing to delegate those tasks that you have processed to the best of your ability.
A big problem entrepreneurial types have is that they believe they are the only ones who can “do it right.” This has a lot of us wasting cycles doing things we would be much better off getting off the desk.
I think the moment you learn to do great work and let someone else perfect it, if necessary, is the moment you start taking back control of your time and creativity.
Nicely said.
May 19th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
I call this polishing the apple.
My rule of thumb is that if the product or service can beat the competition, then it is ready for market.
Thanks for your insight………….Bill
July 13th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Great post! As humans, we are not perfect. We must be able to accept mistakes and learn from them. One thing I consider is using the order form process for me to have clarity in business. http://www.spiritualpreneurs.com/what-can-simply-having-clarity-do-for-your-business/