Dear perfectionists,
“Done is better than perfect.”
It was a message I absolutely did NOT want to hear when I heard it. If my work was going to succeed — if my work was going to represent me — it had to be perfect.
I didn’t want to publish something that was merely done — it wouldn’t be good enough. It wouldn’t be up to my standards. Plus, everyone else out there seemed to be easily, breezily publishing perfect things. Look at all the classics, the bestsellers, the award-winners — why settle for simply done when you could create something great? A masterpiece? Something… perfect?
I refused to settle for anything less.
But when I ran out of hours for a client project I was working on, my boss very gently told me, “Done is better than perfect.” In doing so, he gave me permission to release my perfectionist’s hold on the work, send it to the client, and move on to something else.
I (perhaps like you) have been a perfectionist my entire life. Hitting “publish” or “send” or “submit” on something that I know isn’t perfect is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to teach myself to do. My boss’ advice helped me begin to do this. So did this life-changing video on perfectionism from the School of Life.
This week, I want you to ask yourself:
What does perfect mean to you?
What does done mean for you?
What are you willing to sacrifice?
What makes you feel happy and fulfilled as a creator?
These are questions only you can answer, because they hearken back to why you create in the first place. If you ever want to see your name on the cover of a book, you have to finish the book first. But if you’re writing simply to experience the joy (and frustration) of creating, then “done” might not be a priority, or even a goal.
In today’s letter, I was initially going to talk about how “perfect” doesn’t exist, and how it’s a shining, unattainable trap that keeps us from sharing our work. But… I’m not here to judge. You are creating for your own reasons, and I respect that.
Words & warmth,
Sarah
Looking to start your own podcast?
Looking to start — or improve — your podcast in a couple simple steps? I'd love to share my FREE Printable Podcast Roadmap with you! 🎙️✨
This roadmap is the perfect starting point for new podcasters, and a great checklist for podcasting veterans! Now is the PERFECT time to re-evaluate and re-assess what success means for your show, and this handy tool will help you do just that.