Nothing throws an entrepreneur off their game like trying to get it right.
But, here’s the deal. You’re going to have to overcome perfectionism.
The truth is, to be productive, you don’t need to be perfect, you need to keep going.
If you follow enough millionaire marketers, you’ll notice that their number one success behavior is launching as soon as possible.
The sooner you launch, the faster you’ll get results, and the faster you’ll start making money.
Get Your Head Out of the Past
I’ve been struggling with making sure everything was perfect before launching for years! I believe it stems from working on marketing campaigns that were driven by print. Back in the day my company would be printing 50,000 units of something. So it had to be perfect!
But with today’s online technology, you can fix anything at anytime. So any kind of mistake or type is easy to fix. So you might as well get it out there.
I’ve been thinking about what I’ve learned about launching over the last 30 years and here are 15 tips for overcoming the perfectionism habit and getting stuff done.
1. Make getting things done a priority
It all starts with a choice to get things done. You may not have noticed, but if you’re struggling with overanalyzing and not launching, it’s probably because you’re so committed to making it the very best quality from the start.
Once you realize that no matter what you launch, you’re going to be improving it, you might as well get it out there.
2. Get clear on your vision and what’s important to you
Keep your eye on the prize. What’s the end goal? Why are you doing this in the first place? When you’re clear about your vision, it’s easier to make decisions about what to do and what not to do.
With a clear vision, you can make a plan and create a timeline and of what you need to do each day/week to achieve your goal.
3. Don’t be afraid to start small
Don’t wait for the “perfect” time to start. There’s never going to be a perfect time, so get started now!
Break your goals down into smaller steps so that you can take action on them and not feel overwhelmed.
Take action every day towards your goal, even if it’s just a small step.
4. Get feedback from others and use it to help improve your work
As you’re working on those small tasks, get feedback along the way. But DO NOT let the feedback stop you. You can take that feedback and add it to your improvement schedule.
5. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – they’re part of the learning process
This is a hard one. Mistakes are hard to swallow, so just recognize that you’re going to make mistakes. And when mistakes happen, you’re going to fix them one at a time.
And here’s the good news, every mistake is an optimization opportunity, so YAY for mistakes.
6. Persevere through setbacks and keep working towards your goal
Here’s the thing with setbacks. We hope that they don’t happen. We a avoid setbacks. But guess what? Instead of avoiding setbacks, expect them.
You can even PLAN for setbacks. Sit down and brainstorm all the things you can think of that might go wrong. Then come up with what you will do if that happens. Just having a plan for a setback helps you persevere.
7. Celebrate your successes along the way
Did you get out of bed today? Good for you! Did you respond to that email? Celebrate!
Did you get some registrants from a landing page? You did something right.
Celebrate every little win. Think about what worked before you delve into all the things that could have been better.
8. Keep a positive attitude and stay motivated throughout the journey
The biggest setback you can encounter is your own attitude. Come up with a plan on how you will stay positive and motivated. Plan ahead for what you’ll do when something goes wrong.
I like to play the reframe game. When something goes wrong, I celebrate! Because now I’ve uncovered something that I didn’t know before, or if I get a rejection, I celebrate knowing that this person is off my list.
Your attitude is a choice. So choose to stay positive.
9. Ask for help when you need it and don’t try to do everything by yourself.
Surround yourself with like-minded people who will support you along the way. Make sure that you’re part of a group of like-minded professionals or a mastermind group.
Professional and mastermind groups have a built in structure where you can ask for help. So take advantage of it.
10. Stay focused and don’t get sidetracked from your goal
Ok, so you’ve taken a detour. That’s ok! Just make sure you get back on track as soon as possible. The key is to not stay sidetracked for too long.
If you’ve ever experienced a setback or procrastination, you’ll be tempted to dump what you’re working on and try something else. Instead, treat YOUR project like a client project and stick to it.
It’s ok to step away and take a fresh look, just don’t move on to something else because you’ll be delaying your success.
11. Stay in the step you’re in
I learned this from a coach and I love it. You have a plan, you have goals, take it one step at a time and complete each step before you move on to the next one.
DO NOT allow yourself to be overwhelmed by stray thoughts and worries related to something that it isn’t time to address yet.
12.Take care of yourself both physically and mentally so that you have enough energy to pursue your goals
Nothing will take you off your game like a physical problem. Be sure that you’re getting enough sleep and staying positive.
- Take care of your physical health by eating healthy foods and getting enough exercise.
- Make time each day for yourself to relax and de-stress. This can be through meditation, yoga, or reading.
- Connect with friends and family members who will support you on your journey.
13. Take advantage of the resources around you.
Whenever you get stuck, remind yourself that you have everything you need within arm’s reach.
Most entrepreneurs suffer from some form of imposter syndrome that makes them feel like they aren’t good enough or not qualified enough to jump into this higher level of performance. The truth is, that you are better than you think you are. Your network is filled with experts for whatever you need — all you need to do is reach out.
14. Learn from your failures and keep pushing forward.
I hate the word “failure” because it has this undercurrent of “you aren’t good enough.” When you really think about it, failure is nothing more than NOT reaching a desired outcome. That’s it.
Every failure contains data and information that you can FIX for the next time.
15. Embrace change and keep learn new things.
Have you ever noticed that change is constant? If there’s anything you can count on, it’s change. Once you accept that change is always happening, you can do the same with learning.
Learning should be a top priority for everyone because it helps you grow and develop as a person. It allows you to open your mind to new possibilities and opportunities, and it makes you more adaptable to change. Plus, learning is fun!
Take Aways
So, if you’re feeling a little down on yourself because your business isn’t taking off the way you want it to, remember that everyone is in the same boat. The important thing is to keep moving forward and always be launching. Don’t get bogged down by failures or setbacks–embrace change and learn new things. And most importantly, have fun with your journey!