Something that it took me a long time to overcome and that cost me a lot of money was my obsession with making something perfect. For example writing my first book. I hemmed and hawed over what I wanted it to be about, if there was a big enough market for it, if the space was too overcrowded, if it was long enough, if it was edited enough, it if was X, Y, and Z enough. And so on and so forth. Most people have this desire for perfection they fear taking action because they want to get things perfect.
What most don’t realize is that the most successful in every feel while they strive to be the best that they can be understand that good enough is good enough. Meaning that chasing after perfection is a fool’s errand and will keep them from getting anywhere. It is through relentless action taking that the success become successful not through relentless measuring and editing. Our modern world punishes slowness like never before. You have to be fast and an action taker to make it and survive.
Good Enough Is Good Enough
You could spends year trying to perfect something then someone else could have the first version out within a week and adjust it as they go. You have to take action and then adjust as you go. Understand that good enough is good enough. Otherwise you’ll get left in the dust. The enemy will be upon you raiding your camp while you’re still selecting what weapon would be best to use against them. Take action. While always strive for excellence and for being your best understand that looking for perfection will get you killed.
In business you have to keep marching forward and taking action. A perfect example of perfection (hehe) getting in the way of progress is business plans. Business plans are junk, garbage, worthless. People spend months devising a business plan (that isn’t even going to last once exposed to the realities of the market) while the success dive in and adjust as they go. You have to think as you swim. Not do one then the other.
Beware The Desire For Perfection
For example in publishing a book technically every time you reread your book you could make it better. But you’d be a fool to do that. While you should certainly provide value there comes a point when you are doing yourself (and your market) a disservice by fiddling around. Produce the book and then adjust as needed. So what if it has some typos or grammar issues. Put it out and ten hire an editor when the book has made you enough money to justify getting one. I look over my books once and then push them out and start working on giving new value to my readers.
It took me months to write my first book now I can do a book in a week. Most successful people can do the same thing. I’ll use two highly successful entrepreneurs as examples that share this philosophy. Grant Cardone and Dan Kennedy both write books in a week and both preach about the importance of good enough being good enough. It’s action that gets you results and takes you places not planning. As General Patton was fond of saying “A good plan violently executed now is better than a great plan executed next week”.
Bias For Action
Take action and then see what happens. Don’t make plans and try to adjust for everything. Take action and then adjust. Every successful person there is has a bias for action and getting things to market. Adjust as you as I’ve been saying. Stop dreaming and stop planning. Start moving. The greatest book ever written does you no good in your head and as a matter of fact those producing click bait rehashed content books are making more money than you. Just take action and then keep taking action until you get where you want to go.
Never listen to those who tell you to be cautious or to take your time. In life or death situations sure that applies but in business that same advice will get you killed by your competitors and by the market. It’s not so much size that matters in the market but rather speed. There should be a nearly instantaneous link between when something comes into your head and when you start taking action to bring it about. Make that call, write that book, buy that program. Take action and adjust as you go.
Summary
This isn’t to say that there isn’t a time or place for thinking or planning there is. But it’s when your in the fight and when you’re moving forward. You have to be adjustable and flexible. I’m a huge fan of reading and I’m a huge fan of taking action. Do both continuously and success is guaranteed. Bring knowledge in and then instantly take action on that knowledge. When an idea pops into your head capture it and use it otherwise it’ll float away or be forgotten. Don’t wait, you don’t have nearly as much time as you think you do.
If you have any questions you would like to see answered in a future post send them to me at charlessledge001 (at) gmail (dot) com. If you found value in this post then I would encourage you to share this site with someone who may need it as well as check out my books here. I appreciate it. You can follow me on Twitter here.
-Charles Sledge
