1 EASY step for overcoming perfectionism
It goes without saying that we almost always seek quality over quantity.
Everyone seeks quality. Whether it be in food, products, relationships, friendships, clients, or jobs.
We live in a world where “as close to perfect” is the norm. Settling for anything less than ideal is virtually unacceptable for most people.
Products, restaurants, Airbnbs, service companies, and businesses thrive on great reviews with ratings nothing short of 4.5/5 stars. We all care about the quality of anything in our lives.
Being surrounded by such a high standard, the problem of perfectionism often plagues creators of all types – whether you’re a writer, photographer, filmmaker, speaker, or artist.
Perfectionism Kills the Ability to Share
Personally, this expectation of impeccable quality naturally translates into anything I create. The idea of everything being top notch often burdens my ability to share.
When it comes to my own work, I have always focused far too much on the quality. I have always failed to post photos that I’ve taken or videos that I’ve made because they aren’t up-to-par with my greatest potential.
With “perfect” being the standard, nothing ever feels adequate.
98% of the work I’ve created lies dormant on my personal hard drive because of this negative thought process.
“Everything needs to be just right before being shared.” This false belief has robbed so many creatives of so much potential.
Because this has been such a problem in the past, I am finally doing something to combat this issue of perfectionism. For the time being, I am choosing quantity OVER quality.
Wondering how to overcome perfectionism as a creative or creator? Give it a try.
Quantity > Quality
My goal is to put out as much of my work as possible (without sacrificing too much quality, of course). The idea behind this is to flip this nagging idea of perfectionism on its head and simply create and share without limits.
If I can normalize my process of creating, revising, editing and sharing, then putting my work out into the world should become less and less daunting. The only way to get better at something is to do it more often. That’s the goal here.
You’ve probably heard the famous quote from Tim Notke, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
I would argue that this quote can be related to the comparison of quality versus quantity. Hard work (quantity) beats talent (quality) when talent (quality) doesn’t work hard (quantity).
Or to put it in terms of creating: Creating and sharing consistently is more important than creating and sharing the perfect pieces inconsistently.
Create Imperfect Work Consistently
My approach has always been to share the best of the best, and nothing more. The problem is – maintaining this expectation over time is impossible. As creators, we know first hand that not every piece of your work will be a top hit.
How can I consider myself a “creator” or “artist” if my work is never shared with the world?
The beauty of creating is maintaining your passion in the mundane. The creative journey always consists of the highs, lows, bursts of energy, and the times with lack of motivation.
Overcoming this creative perfectionism by sharing imperfect work consistently seems to be the only actionable answer!
Making It Happen
I am stoked about making this vital change, and am excited for the results. It’s time I finally choose to create, rather than consume. This is an extremely necessary step for anyone wanting to build an audience and brand.
Consuming makes you the person being sold to, while creating builds an audience of people ready to buy from you.
Or better yet – creating allows you to display your work, thoughts, story, and expertise with others so that they can relate, learn, or get connected.
What you have to share with the world may educate, inspire, or encourage someone in a miraculous way. This opportunity to make an impact is not possible without sharing first.
Put yourself out there. Be vulnerable. Admit your mistakes and struggles.
Someone is waiting for it.
Let’s create and share, today!
If you can relate to my struggle with perfectionism in any work that you share, let me know in the comments and we can work on this limiting belief together!
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Thanks for reading.
–Eric P
