It’s not perfect, it’s done.
This may be controversial, but I’m going to say it anyway...
The perfection you seek exists only in your mind. Waiting to achieve this perfection will stifle your dreams and stall your progress.
I am writing this while staring at a photograph in a frame, where I accidentally scratched the acrylic cover, leaving a mark the length and thickness of an eyelash. I stare at it every time I walk by the frame, ignoring the photo, seeing only the scratch. The scratch that no one else sees unless I ask them to look a second or third time when the light is cast at the right time of day at the right angle. All this to say, I know that letting go of the little things to execute the big thing doesn’t come easily for many of us.
This realisation came when I launched my podcast - Deutschland for non-Germans - conversations with foreigners about their experiences in Germany. I started the podcast with no knowledge of what it took to produce one, and without much experience in digital media - save for the few Instagram stories here and there. What I did have was a clear vision of what I wanted it to be. That vision was very much like the podcasts I enjoyed listening to. After launching the first episode, the first thing I thought was how much it did not sound like what I imagined it should sound like to be a success. It was by no means perfect, and I was convinced I would be mocked and ridiculed for trying.
The result was nothing like I had imagined, but it was good enough. The first thing I should have thought about was how proud I should have been to have produced eight episodes - I’m now on episode 16, BTW - of a podcast that people enjoy listening to. A podcast which opened so many doors for me in terms of my personal development, connections with amazing people and the impact it had on those who thought to write to me to let me know how much they related to an episode or a person featured on the podcast. I was comparing my one-man-band to podcasts with teams of people working behind the scenes, editing, writing and researching with budgets and time that were far more considerable than mine.
I set a bar for myself in my head, and the result was nothing like I had imagined, but it was impactful, it was meaningful, and it was done. Letting go of the compulsion to have everything be “perfect” before it is worthy to share is something I’m learning slowly and continuously. To keep me on track, I remember two things:
No one cares as much as you think they do. Our egos are skewed in ways where we think everyone is watching us, and everything is about us. This idea that everyone is invested in what we do can be destructive when the fear of doing something wrong or imperfect keeps us stuck and reluctant to try something new. When in reality, people care about themselves, and how what we do is a benefit or threat to them. I produced a podcast that gave a platform to voices with something valuable to share - no one cared about echoes and reverb.
Good enough is good enough. Only through execution can we learn and improve. I think of these huge corporations when they release new products and services. There are bugs, there are issues, but only after putting it out there can they receive the feedback necessary to develop and improve. Perfection is not an objective or universal state. What’s perfect for me may not be perfect for everyone. Waiting for perfection will only keep me in a rut.
I often think about these points when I need the confidence to try something new. As I sit here glancing back and forth between my laptop and the scratched acrylic on the photo frame, I am reminded why I chose to keep the frame instead of replacing it - which I have been tempted to do. I keep it to remind myself to focus on the photo every time I catch myself looking at the scratch.
All the very best, Danielle🌺.
