I struggle with getting everything done, just like everyone else. All my life I’ve tried to cram too much into each day. Then I had a baby, and – well, you know that’s like adding 3 more full-time jobs to your schedule.
So when people ask me how I get so much done, I try to think about what I’m doing that many others aren’t.
One thing I’ve learned to do is delegate. I’m not perfect at this – I’m still learning to give things away. But each week that goes by, I let a little more go. If a task doesn’t require me personally to get it done, it should be done by someone else.
But delegating isn’t my biggest secret. Of course, that really isn’t even a secret. Most of us know that we should delegate more. We just have to start doing it.
My best secret for getting more done comes from a quote from marketing guru, Dan Kennedy:
“Good enough is good enough.”
This phrase usually horrifies perfectionists (which I know most of you are). But being absolutely perfect about everything is also something we need to let go.
Just think about this newsletter. When I first started doing newsletters, I spent days putting each one together. I’d take a few hours to write an article. Then I’d edit it, re-write it, and edit it again. Then I would send it to a few friends to get their opinion. “Make sure you find any typos and grammar mistakes,” I’d say. After correcting it a few more times, I had to send it to myself to proof it yet again. It was a miracle that I got even one newsletter out each month.
I did the same with all my promotional materials – which meant I never had anything done! I was afraid to put up a website or send out flyers because they weren’t perfect yet. What if there was a mistake? What if some people didn’t like it? What a waste of my time!
As you probably see now – I am not so worried about being perfect. There are often mistakes in my articles, and my grammar isn’t perfect. I just try to write from my heart, and then I SEND IT OUT.
And I get so much more done! Can you do the same? While there are certainly things that should still require your perfectionist attitude (like providing immense value to your clients and having great customer service), there are many things that do not. For these tasks, you must remember:
Good enough is good enough.
Wow – I wrote this article in less than an hour.
I’d invite you to find all my goofs,
but that would be a waste of your time.
Go do something constructive!
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thanks for sharing your secret…our business coach has said the same thing and it really does work
Letting go of perfectionism has been a hard lesson but a much needed one. It does free up a lot of time. And, if someone calls me out on the typo or grammatical error, at least I know they really read it!!
Ivette Muller recently posted..Thirty-One Gifts Thermal Tote Preorder Sale!
I shared this post with my Facebook community – thank you for writing such a timeless piece. Unperfecting and more delegating are lifelong lessons for every one of us – in life and in business.
Donna L. Johnson recently posted..Connect with Stories
Fellow perfectionist in recovery here Nika. And I can happily say I now live in the world of “Good Enough is Good Enough” and build on what you have and make it better next time. That was a BIG lesson for me – I can get something out and then improve on it, just like Apple and Microsoft. I launched my flagship program in 2006 before it was even done and now 4 years and 2 upgrades later it’s still our best-seller. Had I waited for perfection, I would still be waiting.
Thank you Nika!!
Alexis Martin Neely recently posted..Truth in Life and Business
Great article & great advice! When we allow ourselves to operate out of freedom, rather than fear of making mistakes, we can accomplish so much more.
@MichelleSedas
I couldn’t agree with you more, some may call it being impatient to want to get things out of there fast, but why wait? the stock market prices from this morning just four hrs ago are already considered stale!! time waits for no one especially when it comes to business ventures or ideas–one more minute you waste is another minute someone else gains on your behalf- not to say you should compete with everyone around you- but the competition should be within yourself, get you idea out there first, then perfecting that idea will be your next challenge-but until then you still have something out there for people to see and for your ideas to develop upon. I also think that alone is a good motivation to keep going, to have something out there that you know could be perfected is a reason for you to keep trying harder.
-Thanks for the read!!
xx
ren
This is one of the best business tips! If you wait until it’s perfect, you could be waiting forever. I needed this! Thank you, Nika.
Thanks for the reminder, Nika! I can’t agree more. Meredith Liepelt has also been a great teacher and example of “Better done than perfect.” It’s so empowering! I am now able to produce more instead of being paralyzed by perfection.
After our office finished reading Seth Godin’s Linchpin, we all agreed that we simply need to “ship.” Getting things out the door in their Version 1 state is better than sitting and waiting for things to be perfect. We have come to terms with being okay with simply churning out more versions of versions. It’s helped our productivity! Now if only I can start thinking this way about my blog and my small business…
Thelma Bowlen recently posted..Thelma Bowlen S O C I A L
Wow, I love this. I’ve read a LOT but actually never heard that quote! I wrote it down and put it on my bulletin board. Thank you for taking the time to write this. I’m also planning on sharing this with clients! All the best, Eric
This is so true. Hard to let go, but a must if you want to get time back in your day