As I was typing that blog post title, I couldn’t help but think about my daughter Ava…
She’s the typical 6 year old girl–energetic, vivacious, full of life…
…and a HUGE Hannah Montana fan.
Now, if you’ve got kids of your own (especially girls) then you know who Hannah Montana is.
She’s the biggest teen pop star in the world, with a top-rated Disney Channel TV show and sold out concerts nationwide–not to mention a marketing and merchandising blitz that’s simply staggering.
And my daughter is crazy about her. She struts around the house, holding an empty paper towel to her lips and singing Hannah’s hits at the top of her lungs.
Especially this one, which goes something like:
“Nobody’s perfect, I gotta work it, again and again ’til I get it riiiiight…”
It’s adorable (which most everything my daughter does is, but obviously I’m biased) and even a little eye- opening.
Because it ties directly into what we’ve been talking about lately.
You see, when it comes to taking action, many entrepreneurs get caught in the snare of trying to create perfection.
We never feel like our product or service is exactly where we want it to be. So we tweak and we tweak and we tweak some more.
But nothing ever REALLY gets done. The project is always in a perpetual state of creation. Which means it’s eventually doomed to be shelved.
You know what I’m talking about. Either we get bogged down in the details…or something else comes along that bumps it to the side…or we simply lose interest.
And your “big idea” becomes another casualty to the scourge of perfection.
I’ve been doing a lot of studying about why this happens, and I’ve come up with some interesting findings…
Seems many experts agree that being a perfectionist is usually tied to low self esteem and an inflated concern over what others think.
I know–that really struck me too. I always thought perfectionism was just another excuse to not get started. But it obviously goes much deeper than that.
Perfectionists generally seek approval in areas where they don’t approve of themselves. They’re trying to fill a void in their lives with the praise and accolades of others.
They sweat and toil endlessly to achieve the perfect product…the perfect marketing plan…the perfect business, only to find that even if they do finish to a cheering crowd, the empty space is still there.
So if you feel like you’re constantly trying to make things perfect–but never getting anywhere–ask yourself these questions:
Q: “Why does this have to be perfect?”
Q: “What are you hoping will happen if it is?”
Q: “Will you be satisfied upon completion…or will you still feel like something’s missing?”
Because here’s the cruel twist – even if you did achieve “perfection” and were praised till death, it still would not fill that void. You have to do it all by yourself.
Make sense?
I know–this one was a little tough to handle for some of you (myself included).
But if you can answer those questions honestly and make some critical changes, you’ll find yourself moving forward towards your goals with more fulfillment and less effort…instead of spinning your wheels constantly.
Because like Ava was singing just this weekend (a little off-key, but still precious to Daddy)…
“Nobody’s Perfeeeeeeect.”
To Higher Profits,
Rich
P.S. I hope this e-coaching series has been helpful so far.
And remember–if you’d like to share your own “taking action” tips and strategies, please do so below. I’m always interested in what’s working (and what’s not) with my blog readers.