There’s a certain feeling of joy that comes from starting and finishing something through to completion. Recently this was the case for me when I published a new book.
Writing a book can easily continue for months if not years on end if you’re not careful. The truth is a book, like any art, is never completely finished – there’s always ‘more‘ to add to it.
If you’re anything like me and you feel like your work needs to be perfect or at least a very high standard before you make it public, then you’re probably going to procrastinate.
Nothing is ever perfect, there’s always something you can criticise. But your work can be good enough.
We all create fantasies to live up to in our minds. Our time is limited and the idea of perfectionism will slow you down.
Showing your work requires vulnerability, pushing the publish button needs courage. Even more so if it’s something that matters to you deeply.
You’re always going to encounter resistance from your biggest critic, yourself. Resistance shows up in many forms to prevent your work from getting out there.
The fear of being judged is one of the reasons that hold us back.
So how do we overcome these false ideas? What’s the antidote?
Here are a few tips you can use to overcome the need to be perfect to get things done:
Be an explorer rather than the go-to expert.
Sometimes it’s better to be known as someone who is exploring, rather than someone who is a go-to expert. Why? Because being an expert will only create the feeling that your work is never good enough. It’s extra pressure you don’t need, especially if you’re in new territory. Be humble and explore.
Build your inner strength to complete stuff.
There’s a certain empowerment that is felt when you’re able to finish something. Try to connect to that inner strength or resource. It’s a bit like training at the gym. Just like a bodybuilder who practices daily, you need to be able to practice regularly. You can build up your strength by completing small things first. Success is just your ability to complete tasks – it’s as simple as that.
Authenticity
This means to stop comparing yourself with experts on social media. It can be challenging to stop comparing yourself because we’re bombarded by social media messages every day. If we stop comparing ourselves to others, we can listen to what is important within ourselves.
Complete your half-built bridges
Are you someone who has lots of half-finished projects? I can certainly relate to it. All the projects you start are like incomplete bridges. You can’t get the rewards of any one of the projects until you actually finish building it and cross the bridge right through to the end. It’s a great analogy to help you focus on one thing until it’s complete.
So just complete the project, whatever it might be. Your future self will thank you for it.
