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Are you chasing perfection instead of taking action?

And please leave a comment down below… are you a perfectionist? How do you move into action?

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84 Replies to “Chasing Perfection Instead of Taking Action?”

  1. Perfection and procrastination have been my two biggest demons. Your message is so timely. I have never felt more committed.

    Thanks You!

  2. Hey Jeff,

    your videos always ring true for me. I have been the very person your video is aimed at, and still am to a point – though less so than before. I’m convinced it is a way people have of delaying either failure – or success!

    I think we are equally capable of being afraid of both failure and success, and so we fiddle about getting things perfect so that we can kid ourselves we are still doing useful valuable work. Unfortunately, it’s only when we move away from this stagnation trap and step outside our comfort zones that we get to experience the real pleasure that awaits us – in whatever it is we’re doing.

    Great vid as always Jeff.

    Regards,
    Paul

  3. Perhaps you can be perfectionist on some things and some others don’t. And I understand well that if you fail, you still have won some valuable knowledge or experience. So the hidden message of being perfectionist in everything perhaps is the fear to fail. However I have an habit to aim to the stars and maybe I’ll shoot the sky, while some others aim to the sky, and maybe they’ll shoot a bird.

  4. How about: using perfectionism to slow down your progress, out of fear of being unable to manage the ever-increasing flow of new clients, and fearing that you’ll be unable to meet their needs fully and provide a great enough customer service to them all, because now they’re just FLICKING to you? How do you deal with that?
    Thanks Jeff!

  5. I have to admit, Jeff – I’m guilty as charged.

    There was a time when I was arguing fiercely with my wife, who was saying it was my main character flaw.. LOL
    I was always answering that she didn’t seem so upset when I have chosen HER, back in the day… from all the other girlfriends I had…

    But back on topic, which is, of course, perfectionism in marketing – I fight with myself every day.
    When I’m ‘almost ready’ to publish a piece, say a blog post, or send an email, or write a new chapter on my book, etc… I feel the URGE to stop and analyze everything again.

    So, in order to win this battle, I’ve decided to allow maximum 3 revisions, quickly, just after I wrote a new piece.
    And I start my day with the 3rd revision for the piece from yesterday (a good night’s sleep helps showing mistakes I might have overseen the day before) followed by publishing, then I start the research, writing and revisioning the next piece…

    Not ideal, I suppose, but building Pavlov-driven good habits is the key to fight any kind of addiction, or character flaws like perfectionism 🙂

    Makes sense?

    Cheers,
    Steve ✉ Master eMailSmith ✉ Lorenzo # Chief Editor #
    eMail Tips Daily Newsletter ✉ http://eMailTipsDaily.com

  6. Jeff,
    I laughed when I read your email and saw this posting. Thanks for “reading” my mind. I spoke to my wife about this very issue yesterday as we ran errands. I started reading the War of Art yesterday. That books nails procrastination to a “T”. I have been a perfectionist as I start my new business. No more.
    Thank you so much for teaching me so many valuable lessons in such a short time frame. Thanks too for all the amazing people in this group who have offered support and kind comments. You and your staff have worked hard to bring such incredible value to so many people. Thanks does not seem enough.

    I hope you have an amazing Fathers Day with your family. God bless.

  7. Hey Jeff,

    Great inspiration for Sunday morning. I love watching your videos and your camping one inspired me to unplug for 4 days. I read fiction for the first time in forever! lol

    One place where I had to give up perfection a long time ago was SPELLING! I still get tousled around some by people who think it is incredibly unprofessional, but, I had to let it go cause even though I am a UC Berkeley grad, I just don’t see the stuff spell checkers don’t catch, AND, it really slowed me down to find someone to proof read everything I sent out, so, with miss-spelling’s abound, I do pretty well. 😉

    • @Dori: I love that I inspired you to unplug for four days! And I truly believe that fiction is great for the soul AND the business brain. NOTE TO SELF: read more fiction!

  8. awesome post Jeff. imagine how much movement of money is missing in our economy due to perfection paralysis. money is out there in abundance. as is the desire to become better thus people hungry for good content. all of us who have something of value to offer owe it to ourselves and our family to Move now not tomorrow. these words of inspiration should be published in a larger format to have even more impact. maybe a book. 😉

  9. Right on Jeff. Someone once told me that just before you do something great, you will experience maximum — potentially immobalizing — fear because you are necessarily outside of your comfort zone. A person’s first product launch definitely counts as something great, and I think that “pre-greatness fear” is often the root cause and perfectionism is often the symptom. Either way, the solution is the same — action!

    • @Rick: That’s exactly right… Steven Pressfield talks about this in “The War of Art” – that your internal resistance always flares up right when you are at the goal line.

      P.S. haven’t seen you in forever… it’s been a long time!

  10. Hi Jeff,
    I suffer also from perfeccionism, and I ‘have to say that every time I make a mistake, it really hurts a lot… Some of those mistakes are not just the choice of a shopping cart, they made me loose a lot of opportunities. To be honest, I struggle with the fear of screwing up. As you say, may be I use perfeccionism to handdle the fear of success and failure at the same time.

  11. Great video.

    It has reminded me that I’ve written an article with 4 techniques for overcoming resistance – they’ve been valuable to me over the last few years:

    http://www.dextronet.com/blog/how-to-overcome-resistance-to-work-4-techniques/

    This is exactly how I move into action!

  12. Ouch….you just hit the exact point that my coach has been trying to beat out of me. 🙂

  13. Super, Jeff,

    Thanks for the no frills candor. I need to hear more of this and less of the frilly magic wand stuff.
    Peace be with you.

    Mary ~

  14. Hi Jeff,
    great video. Yes, I’m a perfectionist. But I also know, that I should start my projects before finding perfection. And I do it.
    You’re talking about camera, but it’s also about creating websites. If you’re good, you can take the simplest website template and just start. You will have time to make it perfect later.
    Paul

  15. I’m also a recovering perfectionist. From childhood, my opinion of my value was based on how I was ‘graded’ by teachers, parents, etc. Thus my fear of getting a poor grade–it meant I was not valuable. Recently, a colleague pointed out that perfectionists make more mistakes. I knew that energetically, we attract what we focus on, so if we are obsessing about mistakes, that is what we experience, but I had never thought of it that way. His statement was so right on, and unlike other persuasive suggestions about dropping perfectionism, it played to my perfectionism. I immediately wanted NOT to be a perfectionist, because I don’t want to make more mistakes. So all you perfectionists out there–perfectionists make more mistakes, so let it go!

  16. Jeff … thanks for the reminder! A quote I remember: “One foot in the wrong direction is better than 100 years of thinking about it. You can always course correct.”

  17. My perfectionism is normally expressed as wanting to know exactly how things work before I take action. I normally worry things to death until I get to the “oh, what the hell” stage which I call the “give a crap (censored)” moment and then I take action.Once I get moving things normally fall into place.

  18. Hi Jeff
    The Seed Launch Deep Dive Training was totally awesome and timely for me as I was creating my first product. I must also confess though, that I am recovering perfectionist! but now strive for excellence instead.

    In the end no one or nothing is perfect but realising that your “flaws” are what make you and/or your product individual and different is actually a great thing and the one thing that no one else can copy. So instead of trying to be perfect now I celebrate my “flaws”. 🙂
    Gai

    • @Gai: that’s an incredible point… you “flaws” are what gives your work personality. And in this day and age where everyone is a brand, that brand is largely built around your personality…

  19. Great content Jeff. I think most, if not all of us have sufferered from this sort of perfectionism that ends up delaying everything. What ive learned in the last few years is that Imperfect action is so important especially when you are first building your business. Thanks for sharing 🙂

  20. Hi, Jeff! For a perfectionist still struggling to recover like myself, action is definitely the best remedy.

    I recently suffered from this: I decided to do my first launch ever as a practice quick launch to my active customers (I have a software company). I had to warm an ice cold relationship that I had just let die, as it had been almost three years since I emailed them the last time. So I was delaying and delaying and delaying my quick launch because I wanted to write that “perfect first email” to begin my quick launch. After more than two months of this, one day I just sat down for about an hour, and simply wrote to them what I felt, and did not worry about form, or triggers, or what they would think of the email. The response I got was great… and now I’m ready to send them my fourth email in this quick launch sequence I quickly wrote on a piece of paper, after writing that first email.

    Once you start moving, it is definitely a lot easier to keep moving. The momentum just keeps you on track. Thanks for the video!

  21. David Sanders

    Reply

    Jeff, I always love your videos, and this is a prime example. They are always like being welcomed into your home and into your life. I can almost smell the pine and cedar in the Durango air. It’s not about the camera… it’s about being real. You’ve got that down!

  22. Jeff I like your sense of humor and the way you talk to us on
    your videos. You are right about perfection and perfection. It is
    so easy to make excuses not to just start. I know I have taken
    way too much time to get started.
    Last September I found out I have two kinds of Lymphoma
    Cancer and went through 6 months of intense chemo therapy.
    Now I am in remission and am seeking ways to be cancer
    free through proper nutrition.
    Any way thanks for your teachings.

  23. I chased Perfectionism. This is what I found. VISION by Ed Moore It goes: When you see yourself, in the Eyes of others, You see Good. When you find yourself, in the Eyes of others, You see Better. When you see and find Yourself, in the Eyes of ALL, You see GOD. When You understand this, You see Jesus. AMEN. This is as close as I can say for Perfectionism. I need to publish this, for all to read. Thanks for the outlet.

  24. Jeff it’s so great you improve what your telling. Since I watch your all valuable videos, I was that again and again, the videos are just videos, where sounds or lightings are not perfect.(Have you noticed the mosquitos in this one? It was fun cause I listened whith earplugs on my smartphone. I really thought it came in my ear 🙂 )

    There is just one thing that counts, the MESSAGE you want to share. I learned to speaking intoa camera last year. It lifts up my business quiet well.

    Since I quitt my perfectionism my business is much better growing. As I am Dutch and not native speaker, I just don’t care so much to make mistakes in language. Even better, I just start a new business and sure to start in English. Way out of my comfort zone.

    Because the message is clear for me I can communicate it in English to. The potenial in English is exponantial bigger.

    As I try here too to get used to write in English, I really appreciate if you or readers would recommand me to perform my English before to make this huge jump for my business. Actually I know the answer already, just start and launch it.

    PS. I’ll be by the end of the month in 3 days training with Dave V. & Dustin M. So that’s a start to get over the ocean. I want to come some time to thank-you personaly for the videos you gave me for free so far. It really inspired me to start my videos last year. Because as I saw that, there’s no perfect video neccesary to communicate your message.

    Again, it’s the message that counts. Regards. Péron

  25. Jeff – your Seed Launch Deep Dive Training persuaded me more than ever that if I keep letting the struggle to find a name for my company keep me from creating transformation in the souls and lives I’ve have been put here to help, then I am not fulfilling the purpose mission I’ve been given! After reading this blog , I just purchased a domain name! Momentum!!

  26. Love the PLF class and the Seed Launch Program. Jeff has an incredible ability to keep us all involved and get our product launch done!

    Often with clients I encourage them to “lower the bar” because when they set it too high, they just become paralyzed. When they lower the bar, they can still jump as high, or create the best product, but they don’t have the stress, fear and resistance.

  27. That was a great video Jeff.
    Especially the bit on perfection. It’s very interesting way to look at it but I think you’re right it’s a way to procrastinate. And it’s stopping you from taking action quicker. And as we know IM is all about SPEED of implementation 🙂
    Thanks again,
    Ivelin

  28. Ali Davidson

    Reply

    Oh Jeff, how timely. It’s amazing how often I say these same words to my clients and don’t see my own perfectionism at work. Love your wisdom. Thanks for sharing. I’m getting ready to launch my website and new products and I have been obsessing! Especially about the videos. But you have put my mind at ease. Love love love it!

  29. Very well said Jeff. Fear is the biggest obstacle to success. Fear of failure, fear of success, fear of being judged. The list is long. To make ourselves feel better we hide it under the guise of being a “perfectionist” only because it sounds a lot better than the truth which is we are procrastinating. There is no magic solution for this. Our goal has to tap into a desire so strong that it overcomes the fear and constant challenges while moving us forward no matter the risk. If our goal doesn’t evoke a desire that powerful, we probably won’t make it.

  30. Great video, inspiring. I wish I had someone who would help me through the process. I know you said it’s not about the camera, but I do get stuck in the details, like how do I get a shopping cart. It probably sounds so simple to you, “just sign up” or “have a VA do it” but finding the VA is a project I’ve failed at several times, also at cost. I’ve been so stuck in trying to get things going. It took me so long (and lots of money) to get my imperfect website up which I finally did with a free service, all by myself. I still haven’t mastered the art of sending out an ezine. I wish I had a buddy or mentor who could walk me through the steps of all the technical stuff. The content is the easy stuff and my delight to share. Thanks for your encouraging words Jeff.

  31. Hi Jeff, It is a classic case of the80/20 principle (for which I am an international advocate) – a few things really matter and the vast majority thing just don’t matter at all.
    I love your comment about if you obsess, then focus that on the customer experience.
    Geoff fro New Zealand

  32. Hi Jeff, you’re such a man…
    I like everything you say, it’s true, I’m an action man, not a perfectionist, I make things right away… The thing is that I’m a bit, I don’t know how to say… I have a lot of things to do. I know It’s one at the time, I have about 5 products on the shelf waiting to be launched but three things happen:

    I don’t know if it’s better to sell a video series in a DVD pack or make a membership place where they can watch them or sell the product as a webinar in first place and then create the proffesional videos… I’m absolutely sure the product is great. Webinars could make improve the DVD content but… it’s a very easy system to follow… some doubts of my clients could appear but, nothing I could resolve in my blog.

    What would you recomend me?
    Thank you for your blog and for answering

  33. Urgggg you got me! I keep trying to just do it but…. hey, you know the story. I think it’s slightly to do with perfection, but perfection is masking fear of failure…. there you go, totally exposed now. 😉

  34. Renato Pazini

    Reply

    Very good, perfection has to be modeled with work and without fear.

    Sera that my thinking is right?

    Thank you, Hugs.

  35. As my good friend and superb entrepreneur, Dan Pena, taught me. “Perfection equals paralysis!”. Your comments are spot on Jeff.

    Best Regards,

    Bruce Whipple

  36. Great video Jeff. I have been delaying creating products and getting stuff online due to such excuses : I have no camera so I got camera , then I said: I have no microphone that is good so I got microphone , then I said : I suck at camera so I trained for a few months but it was such a delay. Then I said: my accent sucks but I got over it because if I focus on it I will not be able to serve the betterment of this world. Finally I said It is time to just do it and in 3 days I was able to make 3 direct to camera videos. They are not great and I am not sure if everyone is looking at his/her video and does not like it or it is just me 🙂
    So put squeeze page and I will drive traffic to it as soon as I am done with editing the 3 value videos. Then I will do first month of my monthly training and see how it goes.
    Great inspiring comments from participants in this blog too.

    Thank you all. Have a great day

  37. This was perfect timing for me. I have been ‘ready to launch’ my website for weeks now, and keep putting it off for various reasons, the bottom line is its not perfect.
    My husband even keeps saying ‘ I see you watching all these trainings but when are you launching your product?’
    Ok, I commit to launching it by Friday. FRIDAY!

  38. I really enjoyed what I heard on your video, and so what I watch. In fact if somebody as you, simply speaks about this blocking, a feeling told me : replace perfectionism by big pride ? We have to accept to be just a human being. And in fact, it is our major challenge !
    Just to be a human, but a real one.
    Thanks

  39. I get a lot of emails…most days it feels overwhelming! I end up sorting and deleting…but I stop and listen to your videos every time!!! I appreciate that you keep them short, and they are packed with content and delivered in the “Jeff Walker home-style”. Hard not to smile as I listen! Thanks, and hope you enjoyed your day!

  40. Hi Jeff,

    I have been procrastinating to shot my videos, write down my ebook (just completed the free report), I guess I was addicted with the perfectionism and did nothing.

    Thanks for the video.

  41. Inspirational Video. Take Action! Get moving!

    I am on a 90 Day Video Challenge these days. Releasing 1 video each day for community, and this video sums up things ‘perfectly.’

    I am a recovering perfectionist. Cheers, Jeff!

  42. Love the distinction of aiming for Excellence instead of Perfection.

    This is a truth I discovered over the years as well. The impossible aim for perfection does nothing except keep forward motion from happening, as you mentioned!

    As a “creator” (whether I’m creating a website, graphic design piece, doodle animation video, talking on camera, writing copy for a marketing piece, or creating an e-mail or video to train/coach my team), if I obsess too long over the imperfections, I get so much less done in the day. I haven’t totally kicked the habit of striving for perfection, but I have transformed it into striving for excellence. In this way, I still review a few times, but then release the “creation” without analysis paralysis and without failing to follow through. The response from “the other end” is almost always fantastic and then I ask myself why I did it any differently before.

    The fear of “looking bad” is indeed the culprit. Looking bad for saying the wrong thing, wearing the wrong thing, thinking the wrong thing, doing the wrong thing.

    The thing is, we’re our own worst critic! I like how Brendan Burchard talks about this in his book “The Charge”. He mentions something to the effect of, if you think back upon your life about all your interactions with people, you might have been rejected 7 times or so. And you let these 7 times (or whatever number) out of thousands of successes, guide your actions, because we have a tendency to let the negative impact us more than the positive. It’s quite human, but quite silly!

    The best way to get your message and creativity out there is to “just do it”. 🙂

    I think Richard Branson says “Screw it, just do it” — Looking back on the decisions in my life where I used this as the model, it always turned out great. Doing this consciously and eventually subconsciously is beautiful!

    Thanks for creating this engaging conversation.

  43. Hi Jeff,
    Thanks for the reminder to get moving! My perfectionism comes from my fear that I don’t know enough, so I get stuck in the learning phase instead of taking action. I forget that my target market doesn’t follow the gurus that I do, and I have a lot to offer, with lots of testimonials to prove it. I agree, the most important part is to concentrate on creating value and great client experience.
    I look forward to joining you as a “recovering perfectionist”.

  44. Hello Jeff,

    Thank you for the Video, I think this issue about perfectionism has been noted as one of the greatest procrastination features that I hold a patent on, you will be happy to know that regardless I am moving forward. This video is a reminder that we are not nuts! 🙂

    Again, thank you ..

    Herminio Ortega

  45. I struggle with perfectionism a lot but I have found something that helps. Put yourself in a “highly motivating” situation so that if you don’t deliver you lose something. You might have to create this situation yourself if you don’t have a client or a partner depending on you,.Do or die! Getting things done is about getting the right things done – where will your efforts have the greatest impact? You can only know that if you know yourself and you’re honest and realistic about what you can do and seek out others to take care of the rest – you can’t be a Ninja at everything. Groups of people can achieve great things… people who work on their own rarely do.

  46. Hey Jeff,

    It was only until last year that I figured out that working hard was not ok (at age 44)! It’s the stuff you work on that’s important. I still fight it everyday (because of my comfort zone)…

    Re the perfectionist thing. I worked in Bank for 20 years and things had to be correct and perfect all the time… Now being self employed, I am unwinding myself from that, which I just adore.

    Yehaa!

    Llwyddiant!

    Joe

  47. I’m definitely a recovering perfectionist… My boyfriend actually threatened to break up with me if I did not release my first e-book by a certain date!!! It worked… I launched a book and a site that make me cringe even to think of it now, but that very first e-book lead to so many amazing things.

    The thing that I have found is that all of my ‘mistakes’ or things that I didn’t think were quite up to my standard have simply become learning tools that have allowed each successive website, launch and product to become more and more ‘perfect’ and now I am finally producing stuff that is way beyond what I ever thought I was capable of…. I never would have learnt any if this if it wasn’t for consistently putting out stuff that was less than perfect and refining the process over the years.

    I shot a series of 13 new videos today (on the iPhone) and the sound and visual quality is so much higher than ever before. After reading and learning from many people. It’s amazing the kind of production you can get from very simple equipment, that lets you focus on the important stuff!!! Content that serves your community!!

    Thanks for being so genuine Jeff 😉

  48. Jeff,
    Good stuff, I find myself literally getting frozen and unable to take any action because I am trying to make something look perfect ! Funny thing is, I don’t even know what perfect is !

    I have found that to much research and info gathering actually causes more confusion and can cause an overwhelmed feeling making it almost impossible to act. Just throw it out there and see what happens !

  49. Hey Jeff, so true! It not about our efforts put into a video or an article but the client’s overall experience or impression afterwards. Keep your focus on your client’s experience and you will be fine. Cheers!

  50. This is just what I needed to hear. Your comments were a perfect message for me this morning.

  51. So simple yet so profound! This has definitely been my weakness – pursuing perfectionism on all the wrong things. Thanks for opening my eyes (again) Jeff!

  52. Jeff,

    What do you do if your audience is full of perfectionists, i.e. the accounting profession? The few minor tests I put out there, I’ve gotten “dings” for not putting out a “professional” video production. I’ve been stalled for several months now hoping to find a partner who can do the production side. Meanwhile the world is passing me by. Any thoughts?

    Thank you for all that you do. Your message is right on point.

  53. It’s funny how things like this come into your life just at the right moment. I was just shooting some video the other day and while editing it was thinking “I don’t like it…it’s not perfect….I need to do it all over again”.

    Chasing perfection is just another form of Resistance.

    Thank you Jeff Walker for the kick in the butt!

  54. Thanks, dear Jeff!
    I finished a story for children in 1985 , but I still have a lot of excuses for not publishing it .
    And now I’m (very) old…

  55. wonderful buzz of the fly with stereo effect and then the own fly walking across the camera, too perfect, lol.

  56. I can’t shoot my video about procrastination until I get a trained fly to enter the scene at just the right moment. Great video Jeff.

  57. O – KAAAAY! Now that rung my bell for sure. At some point I think I had a brief grasp of understanding that perfectionism has very little to do with perfection. Perfectionism just stops one in their tracks. The result…perfect blank sheet of paper!

    Thanks for the shove!

  58. Hi Jeff-I’m finding my reluctance comes from not feeling like I”m the best example of success in my chosen niche – how did you sell financial tips before you were well off? Why would anyone listen to me when I am in the beginning of “walking the talk”? Why did they listen to you? Thanks! Always find value in your blogs! Liz

  59. thanks Jeff. what a beautiful video, so inspiring. i must confess i am the kind of perfectionnist paralysed one……I always find something to stop me and go back to procrastination. the last event is some one installing a robot txt on my dashboard page…so a good real reason to fight against technical issues and no going on my project’s realisation. However, any way, i decided to go on and oovercome these issues….. you are deeply generous and your video helps me a lot. thanks again.

  60. +1 – spot on advice – I’d say more but then I’d have to think about what I’m going to say for the next 10 minutes…instead of making and selling!

  61. Jeff – you’ve always done great videos – but the latest ones in this series really let your passion and heartfelt desire to be helpful, come through. Thank you and well done.

  62. Seriously, I used to pride myself on being a perfectionist, until I realised how much it held me back!
    As nerve-wracking as it is to step into my first Seed Launch, your process has enabled me to see what tasks are truly important and what I just need to let go of. Thanks for the extra inspiration here!

  63. Walter Schmitt

    Reply

    Jeff,
    I am a recovering procrastinator. This condition does stem from perfectionism. I do video editing and have to set a “It’s done” date, otherwise I’ll keep “improving” the video (paralysis by analysis) “What if we put this scene after the other one” to the extreme of half frame edits to make it look ‘just perfect’ and then miss a deadline. What I have decided to do is, do all my procrastination later. Thanks for the insight.

  64. Jeff,
    Thank you for the opportunity to share my experience with the Seed Launch group, and thank you for putting out your products and being who you are!

    All through the delivery of the program, the opportunity arose for the perfectionist to take over, and each time that I took action, I got more skill in overcoming it. AND – the best part – my people experienced, live, in person, how powerful and effective something can be without it being perfect. All the flaws and errors along the way actually EMPOWERED my participants, which was so wonderful…and a great reminder that it is always about showing up authentically.

    You model that well…

    Much love to you and all the PLAT family, and to everyone who is inspired to TAKE ACTION!!

  65. Jeff how do you help a client get over perfection? I am trying to launch a client and he keeps wanting to re-edit and re-edit short 500 word blog posts (hasn’t even posted one yet).

    Thanks! (look forward to seeing you and having dinner at Accelerate)

  66. Man. I sure am a perfectionist. How do I move to action? Painfully. Kicking and screaming.

    Thanks for this post, Jeff. I’ve just stumbled on your stuff and really appreciate the free content you offer, in particular the rationale behind the “sideways sales letter.”

  67. Hi Jeff,

    Another good video and very timely for me. I too have had to overcome this in the past (and present, and probably the future) and recently I attended your bonus training after the Experts Academy event in May. I have been so swamped to “life” since I go home that I have been hit and miss on your training and creation. But this I have used my own perspective on this, just like the advice you are giving, and on a few occasions have managed to block some time and just go do something; like run some trials with lead pages; start some video capture; develop idea and content for training; knowing they were no were near perfect and probably not even that useful from a content context. They were very valuable to me in learning and keeping myself committed and motivated through this time. I have very little time to work on the business creation and launch, while simultaneously needing to have a business develop and success right now. If I were stuck on waiting till I caught perfection, I think I’d be doomed. And I am not chasing DOOM!

    On that note, I did the same with starting a blog. I have only one entry but it’s about ‘just getting started’, I hadn’t developed a plan for my business blog so I just started a personal one, “mylifeprojectY.wordpress.com’, its free to signup and I am taking the road of learning as I go, developing ideas for content, looking at what generate feedback or comments, and using that as I progress, then moving that knowledge over into my business. Which I think is what is at the heart of your seed launch, and why I am really looking forward to making time to go through all of the training I have downloaded!!

    Thanks Jeff

    Kind Regards
    Paul

  68. Aloha Jeff……

    Outstanding point…..and much deeper than most people realize. The only time any of us is perfect is when we are in authentic service to others without any expectaion of resiprosity…..other than that, hitting the sweet-spot comes from Trail and Success……W. Clement Stone taught me about “Trail and Success” back in 1971…..he was the man who made Hill [Think and Grow Rich] both rich and famous…. He explained that ‘trail and error’ mantra and mindset is the only way to insure a long, hard road…..and that every attempt [Trail] is a success if you learn from it….

    When we took your course we had No product, No internet marketing experience and we had NO list……..your encouraging words inside PLF about not waiting until we ‘prefected’ the product reminded me of what Mr. Stone shared with the class back in 1971…….and here we are, in our 6th successful launch, with yet more chances to ‘improve’ …..living a life we had dreamed of in Kauai…..

    But it’s really even deeper…..Perfection needs to be the target but let’s not make the perfect the enemy of the good [it’s what we teach our students] ….when action yeilds to procrastination most people disguise what is really going on [fear] as perfectionism……that’s the deep part…..our rationalizing procrastionation as ‘prefectionism’ …..and we’ve found that the real truth for our students and ourselves until we took personal responsibilty is that it, perfectionsim is really sloth…..not getting it done and pretending to be a perfectionist….is one of the more elegant fibs we believe about ourselves….I know, I used to do that……LOL

    I’m not suggesting we live in the ‘Ready, Fire, Aim’ mindset but real entrups. know that every ‘Trail’ makes money, every single one…..because it gives us a chance to learn and grow…..

    keep giving to keep growing
    believe
    The Fabulous Davene & mark j

  69. I LOVE that I have become a recovering Perfectionist since the Seed Launch Deep Dive training.

    My daughter has always had the attitude that it doesn’t have to be perfect and would quickly make decisions and get things done.

    I, on the other hand, had to wait for everything to be just perfect and right… but you know what? I didn’t get a lot of things done and the things I did get done took soooo long!

    Now that I am more conscious of this, I no longer let perfectionism hold me back! The world needs me now… not when I’m perfect! 🙂

  70. Start today, NOT wait for tomorrow.
    People are used to procrastinate their success due to many things, but when you start something with what you have in your hands you´ll see how strong and professional you are.
    Great video, Jeff, to believe that we can DO more than we believe we CAN.

  71. Thanks Jeff – excellent video, as usual.

    Thanks for your inspiration and much needed advice to focus on content instead of perfectionism.

  72. Guilherme Lima

    Reply

    Hey Jeff great tip, I´m just starting in product launch and that was really powerful for moving forward. Thanks!

  73. I have huge issues with perfectionism, which always seems to go back to my ego. I want to be the guy who finds the clever solution nobody ever thought of right out of the gate, the mythical Entrepreneurial savant like Gates or Jobs who came from nowhere to domination. This is pure sophistry, and I’m nowhere near as brilliant as I’d like to think; in fact I’m an above average intelligence sitting in a room spinning my wheels in Neutral in those moments. Not pretty. At the bottom of it is fear of being wrong and never being a le to correct, and it’s a deeply held belief, because of its pernicious and insidious invisibility. My best defense seems to be having an accountability partner to call me out, and to obey Parkinson’s Law at all times. There is no substitute for relentless motion.

  74. Maria From Club Wellness

    Reply

    I have been dreaming about having web presence for years, since 2007 to be exact. I am strong perfectionist. My major struggle is thinking that I am not good enough, that I don´t have a pretty place and background to shot my videos. I have found myself not able to afford a domain nor a hosting service so I have to stick to free sites but then I hold myself because I think that I will lose credibility. It is a constant battle then I go back in forth with what niche and what should I make my business about. I relate to all you teachings Thank you.

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