Done is Better than Perfect.
I was a procrastinator in my younger years. It was at its peak in college. I was a marketing and communications major and would have massive projects due and wait until two days before starting on them. I am not sure why I ever thought that was a good idea. I remember one time and professor who I really liked said to me after I made a presentation to the class, “That looks like you did it last night.” He wasn’t wrong. I had not produced work that I was proud of because I didn’t devote the time to it.
As time went on and I entered the corporate world, I realized the anxiety that procrastinating gave me wasn’t worth it. Especially when I had employees. I knew that putting things off could impact them or our clients. It was the same in group projects in college; I never waited until the last minute because I didn’t want to let my classmates down. Why was it ok to let myself down but not others?
When I started to write my blog in 2020, at first, I would spend days writing and rewriting everything, trying to choose the perfect words and tone. Then I realized that it was more important to get it done and the message out and move on rather than to angst over it. There just weren’t enough hours in the day. Since July 2021, when I started using Grammarly, I have had 1,122,336 words analyzed and written over 170 blog posts. Now, I spend an average of two hours writing my blog posts because I have thought through the topic and what my direction will be, so it is easy to crank it out. And I don’t stress over it.
Do we even know perfect when we see it?
My daughter took Russian ballet for years. The thing about ballet is there is always the quest for perfection from the teacher and the student. The perfect turn, the perfect variation. But what is funny is that very few people know what a perfect move is in ballet. They know when something is beautiful and makes them feel good when they experience it. So, the quest for that perfection is often unnecessary because it is lost on the audience.
Could some of my writing be more polished? Absolutely. But I have to use the time I have to focus on getting the message out and serving my clients. That is why I am meticulous when I write for clients because it is my responsibility to do so. They deserve perfection or as close as I can get.
Just do it.
I hear a lot of Relocation Directors say they will start business development after _X_ is over. Fill in: training, awards season, conference attendance, vacation, budget cuts, other projects, etc. We can always find an excuse for things that are hard or that make us uncomfortable. I still hear a lot of “I’m so busy,” even though business is down 20%-30%. Clearly, we aren’t busy backfilling the lost business. I get it; the daily grind can be all-consuming, and many have lost staff.
I finally realized there is a happy medium. 1. Don’t wait until the last minute for deadlines 2. But don’t overthink things that aren’t that important.
I have learned some lessons along the way:
The hardest part is to start
Don’t overthink it, but do let your mind wander
Some of my best ideas come when I am not under pressure
We tend to complicate things
If we act confident, confidence will follow
No need for gloss; sometimes the basics are ok
Stop getting ready to get ready
Focus on what people want/need
Where are their pain points?
What problem can you solve?
Use available tools to help you
You won’t get results if you don’t ever start
People aren’t judging you as much as you think they are (and even if they are, who cares?)
Be authentic; people don’t gravitate to anything that seems overproduced
You can always go back and fix your mistakes or improve your message (but accuracy counts--it doesn’t mean typos, grammatical errors, or incorrect info)
The thought of starting to go after business can be daunting. Some feel we have to build a huge prospect list and make a big thing of it. If we have a warm introduction to five good local prospects, the likelihood is that we will succeed in capturing one. And once you have one, it is easy to get others. Don’t wait for the perfect prospect or the perfect time. Get your materials ready and start talking to people who need your services, and the business will follow. Let me know how I can help.
“Done is better than perfect.” ~ Sheryl Sandberg, American technology executive and author
