Done is Better Than Perfect
For the most part, all creators want to be proud of their work. They want you to be proud of their work too, so they spend all their time perfecting the product and making it the best version it can be.
It’s normal to want to put out your best work or do your best job. But at what point does perfectionism get in the way of performing?
You have to be able to move beyond perfect and be happy with what it is.
A lot of people tend to use stall tactics as reasons why they haven’t released their product yet. You say, “It’s not finished,” or “I’m putting the finishing touches on it.” “It just needs some more work.”
I’m here to tell you: no, it doesn’t.
Here’s the thing — it’s never going to be perfect. There’s always going to be a way to improve your product. There are so many things you can do to improve your product.
Perfectionism halts progress. It’s a way to put off the inevitable and make excuses for why nothing ever gets accomplished. Give up perfection and get it done.
You’re never going to be able to make any progress unless you get the courage to put your work out there. It’s a necessary part of building and growth. You can’t get around it.
You have to pony up and send your child out into the world.
Now, a product still has to be relatively finished. You could share the unfinished product as a way of sharing the process, which is an important part of growing your audience. But a product has to be done before it can fully be released for consumption.
You can’t publish a book that doesn’t have an ending. You can’t record a song without the instrumentals. You could, but then the product would be incomplete.
So, when is a product considered ‘complete’?
I don’t remember where I read it, but I once read that your product is ready once it’s 80 percent complete. At that point, you’ve reached the releasing point. It’s enough to have gotten the bones of your project done and tweaked it. Now, it’s just being brave enough to push it out into the world.
At 80 percent, it still leaves room for improvement, but that’s the point here: there’s always going to be room for improvement. You’re never going to create the perfect product because it doesn’t exist.
But you can get 80 percent of the way done and be content with what you’ve accomplished. You can release it and allow others to now enjoy and consume it with fervor.
Final Thoughts
You’re never going to have the perfect product. Perfect is a relative term. There’s always going to be a way to make it bigger and better. You have to be willing to let that go.
If you never put it out into the world, then you’re holding back. It’s better to put it out into the world rather than constantly trying to tweak it. It’s never going to be perfect. Heck, I could edit this article forever, but then I would never hit the publish button. That’s what matters. Being able to be content and put it out there.
It’s better to put it out into the world rather than letting it sit on the shelf and get dusty in the name of perfection.
Finish until it’s 80 percent complete (or maybe more) and then put it out. You can do it.
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