Because I was such a high achiever younger in life, I thought that wanting things to be 'right' and 'in place', being a perfectionist, was just a part of my personality. Not only was it a part of my personality, but it was a part of my core programming. I thought that being perfect and doing things perfectly meant that I would be able to accomplish everything I attempted.
Perfectionists tend to be high-functioning, high achievers, they tend to make really good grades in school, are people pleasers, and tend to be a little neurotic. If you fall into any of these categories, this is no shade, because I’m right there with you!
But in the world of entrepreneurship, I've learned, through much trial and error,that doing something perfectly is not equal to being successful.
As a matter of fact, then I think of perfectionism, I think of a scene from Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Part 2. Harry, Hermione, and Ron had just broken out of Gringot’s Bank on the albino dragon and they’re trying to figure out how to get back into Hogwarts to find the last horcrux. Hermione says (and I’m paraphrasing) 'we need to come up with a plan for how we're going to break back into Hogwarts find this horcrux'. Harry says 'Hermione! Everytime we come up with a plan all hell breaks loose and we end up winging it anyway, so let's just do it'.
I felt that in my spirit!
Your plan is not necessarily how everything will work out. Even when you have a plan in place, you still need to be prepared for when the plan goes wrong and for when something you hadn't considered comes into play.
So with this in mind, I really had to assess the way I'd been doing business, the way that I'd been showing up, and the way I’ve been thinking about my own business. I asked myself “Do you want things to be perfect or do you want them to be done? Because waiting for them to be perfect is going to cause you to miss out”
There have been a few times when I had an amazing idea that I did not take action on. An idea I knew was going to help me reach my goals or help me make some money, but I just didn't do it. I thought I was trying to get it perfect, but in reality, I was just procrastinating.
Wanting everything to fall perfectly in place was causing me to miss out on creating real relationships, forming bonds with people who have real things to offer and building a strong community around my values.
My perfectionism is really procrastination in disguise. Because I’m scared of doing the work; I’m scared of what's going to happen when I actually get what I want; I don't know how I’m going to get all the pieces and make everything come together, so I wait and procrastinate.
After a few missed opportunities, I realized that at some point I have to make a decision and say “Okay I'm going to do this thing whether its perfect or not. I don't have time to wait because while I'm waiting, someone else is executing and claiming the things that could have been claimed by me”.
And I’m at that point in my life and business right now! I want to create a life that I love and that makes me happy, so I am no longer procrastinating in the name of perfectionism. That means showing up, as I am, every day. I’m aiming to give my best each day, giving myself grace to walk in whatever that may look like.
