Why postponing good ideas is never a great idea.
I learned this lesson on my own and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. However, it was valuable, as all hard lessons are.
In business and in life you may get great ideas you want to set into motion, ideas that make you feel excited and alive.
Then you decide to do some research, attend a training or two, read a book about it or get some systems into place.
Without you even knowing it, you postpone your idea on indefinite term, hoping that one day you will have all the answers, credentials, time and money.
Tomorrow turns into next week, next week into next month, next month into next year and so on.
Later means never.
Then one day, while being busy living your life, you see that someone else had the same idea and while you waited for everything to be perfect, this person launched it and is happily working on it.
You’re a minute too late. The ship has sailed. Someone else gets to enjoy your great idea. Regret has a bitter taste. I remember it well.
So, what can you do? Well, there are two options:
- You get inspired by the other person’s courage and launch a similar version of the idea as perfectly imperfect as it is (you will improve it in time) or
- You wave goodbye because you don’t want to feel like a copycat and promise yourself you will take action next time you’ll get another great idea
For me it was the second option. I was upset for a day or two, and then I solemnly promised myself never ever to put myself in that position again.
My ingrained perfectionism was a big obstacle, but I decided never to let it stop me again in the future.
Perfectionism is not an excuse.
It’s just a costly delay.
Nowadays, I look around me and I sincerely admire all those who take action and deliver a service or a product that is open for continuous improvement.
I applaud the humanity of small imperfections, adjustments, even mishaps on delivery because I know it takes a lot of courage to push back fear and to show up in the world with something new.
My advice to you comes from the heart: do it now. Whatever great idea you may have. It may be a tiny concept, but start working on it. Make it bigger, give it life and purpose. Talk about it, ask smart questions. Put your flag on this new territory and claim it to be yours.
You may not have all the answers yet, all the solutions, you may lack the vision of the next steps, but do it anyway. Do it for the sake of doing it.
Action trumps perfection all day every day, because perfection doesn’t exist.
If you are abundant in great ideas, but never seem to turn them into reality, if fear holds you back every time you want to try something new, reach out and let’s talk about it. We may or may not work together, but you will walk out from our discussion with at least one valuable piece of advice. I promise.
Wishing you an inspired day,
Bianca