Overcome perfection paralysis: Tips from creators of content
There's a good chance that you've had a friend who could not finish a project because they felt every aspect had to be perfect. But, perfection doesn't exist (truly). Therefore, your work is left to sit unfinished in their computers or their studio. Many might think that the time invested wasted since nobody gets to appreciate what the artist produced.
Perfectionism can be a major blocker for creators and entrepreneurs. In a research study conducted by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, perfectionism is associated with "feelings of failure, guilt, indecisiveness, procrastination, shame, and lower self-esteem." This is why, people struggle to complete the task or project - this has been dubbed the perfection paralysis.
But, how do you conquer it?
The process of letting go of perfection and shifting to a actual standard of what can be released for public consumption is a challenge. In order to help you achieve this We invited two experienced authors to discuss their journey to overcome perfectionism during a live summit that took place in August 2022. You can watch the session here:
Before we get into the tips, meet our panelists:
Steve Harris is a global business coach that helps high-performing individuals and institutions connect the gap between their capabilities and their performance. He's been described as "ruthless", he's had the privilege of working with over 1000 clients and encouraged them to put in the work and achieve stellar performance.
Grace Abbott is a multi-hyphenate creative strategist and brand builder who is a specialist in building businesses in the area of commerce and content. In the last five years, she has been dedicated to creating To Be Magnetic - turning the once-healthy blog into an ever-growing membership platform- the #1 site for Neural Manifestation.
Responses have been edited for brevity.
Why do people get too caught up in perfection?
How have you overcome perfectionism?
Digital goods don't have to be perfect, however, they do require the required level of quality for them to make a profit. How can a creator set their standards to a level of quality that's still suitable for their business and brand?
Grace states:
"Consider whether it reflects the quality of your content and knowledge you're planning to provide? Does it communicate a compelling narrative about the value you've got to offer? Then, of course you need to ensure that you're editing your copy or that you've got top-quality audio and video. All those things that are going to make the user experience as top-quality as it can be.
However, I believe that more than anything else, you should just go for it. You don't need to have an expensive production team in order to produce an outstanding video. You can shoot something nice on your iPhone. Make sure there's nothing in the background and that the audio quality's excellent.
What is the first thing a knowledgeable creator could do to assist them in creating their first digital product?
Steve says:
"I notice that the majority of business owners are engrossed with their message and they're not looking at the marketplace. It is important to ask yourself: can there be a market for my message? How do you determine if there is an audience for your message?
It's actually quite easy - Ask specific questions such as:
- What's the challenge which my voice or passion for solving can help solve?
- Who's the cause and who needs this solution?
- What are the folks you're obligated to serve?
- How do you find them?
- How are they going to find you?
- What amount of money do they have?
- Why should anyone go to you rather than all the options which are available?