Progress Over Perfection
Because I am trying to focus on those exact words, here I am launching an almost-finished website. (I’m claiming that it’s “almost” finished because…Glass. Half. Full! But really, there is much more for me to do.) And, technically, my hope is that this site will be ever-changing for the better. I realize this whole project would have been much easier to keep to myself, but I can’t imagine that would have done much good. (Side note: If you’re wondering what the point of this whole blog site is about CLICK HERE. And, if you’re wondering who I am CLICK HERE.)
As you read this blog, you may or may not have noticed that my website is technically not complete and either way, it doesn’t really matter. Truth: it’s bothering me, but at the same time, it’s liberating. Not so coincidentally, this is my main point of this blog post – Progress over Perfection. Perhaps it sounds cliché, but it’s a great mantra to follow, and one that I continuously need use as a reminder. Don’t avoid doing something because you’re waiting for it to be perfect. Take a step (no matter how little) and just move forward. Not progressing because you’re anticipating perfection only leads to procrastination. Procrastination won’t get you anywhere. Actually, that’s a lie. Procrastination can get you to a little destination called Frustration. I’ve been there many times. It’s a terrible little place, and yet for some reason I keep going back to visit.
I’ve started to do some digging. What is the reason we strive for perfection? Is it because we’re worried that we will be judged if we’re not perfect? Is it that insecurity that’s holding us back? That’s very much the case for me. I am aware that my very first blog post contained grammatical errors and typos, but I don’t think it compromised the overall message. I could have reworked and picked apart that post for many more days. There is a time and place where detail and accuracy is crucial, and I used to think it was necessary all of the time. But in this case, getting the message out was and is more important to me. It took a lot of self-reflection, personal development research and internal pep talk for me to finally bite the bullet. So, here we are.
I have grand plans on how this website can be of value to you, but if I waited to have every little detail lined up before launching it, I’d probably still be here months later with nothing ready to share. I believe that a message like this is too important to wait because life is short and perhaps this is a challenge that you (like me!) may be trying to overcome right now. Is there something you want to do with your life (big or small), but you just aren’t doing it because you think it’s just not the right time, or you don’t have the right tools to make it just right? Searching for just the right something can take a while. But time shouldn’t be an issue because we should all have unlimited patience, right? Ha! Oh how many times has the important value of patience been repeated to us? In this case, I’m looking to have more patience with myself. And, I’m challenging myself to be more confident. I want the confidence and patience to realize that it’s OK when something’s not perfect. If I want something, I have to start somewhere.
So, how can we truly live out this mantra?
JUST START
Uhhhh, ok. Easier said than done. You don’t have to take a big step. It can be a small step. Just take a step! If you’re looking for the courage, motivation or a useful tool on how to take that step, check out the “5-second Rule” by Mel Robbins. It WORKS. You can even look up her Ted Talk on YouTube – it’s relatively short, but super valuable.
DON’T LOOK BACK
Specifically, don’t look back with regret. It’s not safe to drive a car forward while you’re looking out your rear view mirror! If you feel like you’ve made a mistake, evolve and keep moving forward, even if that means moving forward in a different direction. A good way to stop yourself from looking back is to…
CELEBRATE THE SMALL
If you were too overwhelmed to do this, or maybe you just jumped in right away, don’t be discouraged if you didn’t set a major goal. Look at where you are and celebrate the progress you’ve made. (Note: celebrating the small may require looking back only to see how far you’ve come, and that’s completely permissible.)
ENJOY AND KEEP MOVING
If you’ve reached your end result, enjoy the moment and take pride in the accomplishment, but don’t stop there! Keep moving forward!
You inspire me to keep moving. In conjunction with launching this website, I’ve also spent time writing other material and reading. In fact, I was doing so much of it that I was told to read a book specifically titled “On Writing” by Stephen King. I found it serendipitous when I came upon a statement that he wrote which resonated with everything that I have been doing, including this particular blog topic. This statement was his “permission slip” as he called it: “…you can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.”
The sentence immediately following resonated with me even more when he said, “Writing is magic, as much the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink. Drink and be filled up.” (Glass half full at the very least.)
And there you have it. Welcome to my almost-finished website. It’s far from perfect, but hey, it’s progress.
Cheers,
Tiffany
