I’ve found it particularly difficult to write articles intended for public consumption in recent years. (And don’t think the irony is lost on me that my first “meaty” post to the new blog is delayed a few days and focuses on writers block.)
I’ve never been able to fully pinpoint the causes, but reflection has revealed a barrier I regularly run into: an obsession with getting things just right. What’s more, talking through this with others has shown me just how common a feeling this can be.
What is the obsession with perfection all about, though? What is “just right”, and why does everything I want to put out there absolutely need to exceed this ever-shifting standard? That’s a good (and tough) question, worthy of eventual exploration… but for right now? It really doesn’t matter.
It’s all to easy to forget that success in life is driven by seizing opportunity, but you will never see the opportunities if you don’t show up to the party in the first place. You’ll never get the job if you don’t eventually stop toiling over your cover letter. You’ll never launch your revolutionary new web gizmo if you can’t come to terms with its inevitable bugs and just put the damn thing online. (See where I’m going with this? At some point you need to accept that good enough is good enough, and “perfect” exists only in your mind.)
Amber Rae hit the nail on the head with a recent headline: screw self-doubt, embrace inspiration, achieve greatness. We learn by doing, and we’ll improve with time and effort. Our results won’t always be exactly what we hoped for on day one, but that’s not what matters. What matters is the willingness… the effort. (Remember? “Perfect” doesn’t exist.)
To close, another bit of wisdom from Amber’s post:
We define success and what it means to us. I don’t think inspiration is the barrier to reaching greatness. I think self-doubt in our abilities combined with too much care for what other people think is what holds us back.
Let’s all worry less and do more. Life will go on if the first (or second) iteration isn’t just right.
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