Shownotes
Are you constantly paralyzed by the need for perfection?
Today's episode dives into the perfectionism trap that many entrepreneurs face discussing how the endless pursuit of perfection can stifle your business growth.
You will hear actionable strategies to overcome this mindset and embrace "done is better than perfect", helping you take action, even with imperfect projects.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why perfectionism prevents action and business momentum.
- How to utilize beta runs and market research to improve your offerings.
- The power of the 80/20 rule to focus on what truly moves the needle in your business.
Related Episodes:
267 - 3 Things Stopping You from Scaling
Work with Michelle:
If you're already doing $3-4K in monthly revenue, and you want help getting to the next level, DM me on IG with the word "private" and I'll share the details of my month-to-month, cancel anytime "back pocket" coaching offer
Transcripts
Are you constantly feeling stuck, paralyzed by the need for everything to be perfect?
Speaker A:Do you find yourself waiting to launch your new program or project because you're afraid it won't meet your high standards?
Speaker A:In today's episode, we're talking about the perfectionism trap that many entrepreneurs fall into.
Speaker A:I'm going to share how this constant need for perfectionism can prevent you from taking action and building momentum in your business.
Speaker A:Remember, done is better than perfect.
Speaker A:Let's dive in.
Speaker A:Hello.
Speaker A:Hello, my friends.
Speaker A:I am dying to talk about perfectionism.
Speaker A:I have been wanting to record this episode for quite a while, and I'm excited to dive into it today because I am seeing more and more where perfectionism is stopping people literally in their tracks and it is keeping you and other business owners.
Speaker A:I know my students, and in conversation and in networking, it comes up all the time that this, you know, struggling perfectionism, right, in that you're just struggling to get things done because the perfectionist in you, you know, wants every little detail perfect.
Speaker A:And I really want to try to help you expand your thinking a little bit and give you some tips and ways to kind of get beyond this perfectionism trap, so to speak.
Speaker A:All right?
Speaker A:So really, you know, perfectionism in a lot of ways, we look at it like, oh, well, I just want everything to be perfect and I want every detail to be in place and I want to make sure that everything goes smoothly.
Speaker A:And I want to do all, you know what I mean?
Speaker A:Like, we can create all of these reasons why everything needs to be done and needs to be done perfectly.
Speaker A:But the reality is, is that there really is no such thing as perfect, especially on something new, right?
Speaker A:And so this constant, endless tweaking and fine tuning actually prevents you from taking action and building momentum in your business, right, because you're trying to perfect something that potentially you've never done before, right?
Speaker A:There is no way, no way that you can figure out every what if on something that you've never done before, right?
Speaker A:So if you've never done it, how can you make it perfect?
Speaker A:And yet we constantly try to make sure that we're ahead, you know, well, what about this?
Speaker A:Or what about that?
Speaker A:Or what if this?
Speaker A:And the thing is, you just can't answer all those questions.
Speaker A:And a lot of times the answers that you're seeking are in the action, right?
Speaker A:Putting something out there, letting people give you feedback, going through it, like seeing where the process actually doesn't work or finding where there is maybe something that doesn't go as you thought or it doesn't go as planned.
Speaker A:But the reality is there's absolutely no way, no way that you will ever know every single detail, right?
Speaker A:But this is a great, and so if perfectionism is something that you really struggle with, this is a great opportunity for beta runs or what we call case study runs, testimonials, market research, putting people through kind of like a trial basis, right.
Speaker A:Because that allows you to run through the process with somebody that you're comfortable with.
Speaker A:Usually when you put out something for a beta or case study, it's to somebody that's already in your world, that knows you, likes you, trusts you, and is willing to give you honest feedback and really help you work through the process.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:And so before you put it out to the world, or maybe before you put it out publicly, you have the opportunity to kind of pick up on any of these little details, right.
Speaker A:But the reality is also, too, is that your business is always evolving.
Speaker A:So just when you think you have something perfect, some new ideas going to come, you're going to get feedback, you're going to realize something's changing in your business, and then you're starting all over.
Speaker A:So, like, you're, why hold yourself back when you know it's going to change, right?
Speaker A:Like just allow for the evolution, allow for the change.
Speaker A:And so really, if you think about and try to focus on the 80 20 rule, which I live my life by.
Speaker A:The 80 20 rule.
Speaker A:I mean, let's just be honest.
Speaker A:Like, I try to be, you know, eat vegan and dairy free 80% of the time.
Speaker A:But let me tell you something, if ice cream comes around, I'm going to eat it, right?
Speaker A:But in general, too, with business 80 20, like, focus on the 20% that's moving the needle and the 80% is usually these little minute details that are just there and sometimes just completely waste time and energy and resources on things that do not impact your business growth.
Speaker A:You are spending so much time on all these little details and quite honestly, it's keeping you busy, but it's not moving your needle forward, right?
Speaker A:And so maybe you have a new program that you're thinking about launching.
Speaker A:If you're listening to this episode, there is something, there is likely something that you have wanted to launch for quite a while and you haven't done it because perfectionism is holding you back.
Speaker A:So where is there that place of good enough?
Speaker A:What is your level of good enough?
Speaker A:And now I can hear the perfectionists all coming back to me and going, there is no good enough.
Speaker A:I'm a perfectionist.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:There is no such thing as good enough.
Speaker A:But there is, right?
Speaker A:And you've got to find that, and you've got to think about.
Speaker A:And if you can't come up with a good enough is like, what I want you to think about is, is all of the information in here for a, your client or your student or whatever to get the promised result right.
Speaker A:90% of the time you've over delivered and guarantee it.
Speaker A:You know, can they pay you?
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:It's the signup process.
Speaker A:Can they sign up?
Speaker A:And can they.
Speaker A:Can they pay you?
Speaker A:Is that done?
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Do you know what you're going to be teaching?
Speaker A:How you're going to serve or go through with this offer?
Speaker A:If the answer is yes, move on, put it out there, get it out to the world, knowing that there is always, always, always room for improvement.
Speaker A:Nothing is set in stone.
Speaker A:Nothing is forever.
Speaker A:You don't have to.
Speaker A:It's not like you can't go back in and change it.
Speaker A:It's not like, you know, and even the reality is, is like there's always going to be something that you miss.
Speaker A:It's just we're humans, where humans and humans miss things.
Speaker A:And so get it out there, done is better than perfect.
Speaker A:And action fuels momentum.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:I want you to remember those things.
Speaker A:Action fuels momentum.
Speaker A:The progress that you're seeking and you're looking for happens through action, not through this endless, endless preparation, right?
Speaker A:Again.
Speaker A:Because it never ends.
Speaker A:That's the reality.
Speaker A:That's why it truly is endless.
Speaker A:It never ends.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:So move forward with your imperfect product or your imperfect strategy, knowing that you can refine as you go, knowing that you're going to get feedback and be open to it, right.
Speaker A:And just feel good about it, because I promise you, you have all the information your clients aren't picking up on every small little detail that you are.
Speaker A:And the other reality is, is that while you're sitting here waiting in, you know, for every detail to fall in the line and for every single thing to be absolutely perfect.
Speaker A:Somebody else, your competition.
Speaker A:I know we don't like to use that word, but let's just say we all have competition.
Speaker A:I've said it before, I'll say it again.
Speaker A:I mean, it is what it is.
Speaker A:I don't really view it as competition in that sense, because the reality is that I can't serve everybody and neither can them.
Speaker A:They.
Speaker A:But we all do have competition.
Speaker A:And while you're sitting here in this, wrapped up in this trap of perfectionism, somebody else is settling for good enough and they're putting it out there and they're landing your clients, the clients that need the solution, they're buying, right?
Speaker A:And they're not waiting around and they're not going to sit around and wait forever.
Speaker A:And so if you are finding yourself stuck and going like, well, geez, this person, you know, they put an offer out there and people buy and, and I wish they would buy from me and they were my lead or something of that sort.
Speaker A:Maybe you don't, maybe they're not even your leads.
Speaker A:Maybe you're just seeing like, somebody else launch something.
Speaker A:And I have the same exact offer.
Speaker A:I'm getting ready to do something similar and the people are already buying.
Speaker A:Well, guess what, because they're putting it out there.
Speaker A:I mean, if you think about it, most of the time, the people that are putting these offers out over and over and over again, that are just kinda constantly filling their offers, they are not wrapped up in perfectionism.
Speaker A:They are just taking massive, expansive action.
Speaker A:They put a process in place.
Speaker A:I mean, some of the biggest and best selling offers I've been in have been sold through a Google Doc, right?
Speaker A:Like, there's no perfectionism in that.
Speaker A:I mean, yeah, the grammar looked good, the sales page, but it's not like, pretty.
Speaker A:There wasn't any graphics.
Speaker A:It was all done strictly through a Google Doc, you know, and it was a, I don't know how this is going to work.
Speaker A:This is what it looks like.
Speaker A:I'm, I'm going to send you a contract and we'll go from there.
Speaker A:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:And it's been some of the best offers I've ever been in.
Speaker A:And so if you are struggling with sales, if you need sales and you need new clients, then put your offer out there.
Speaker A:You've got to find a way to shut down that voice in your head that has you wrapped up in every little detail in this self proclaimed, proclaimed perfectionism.
Speaker A:And I know that that is truly, I know that that's a real thing.
Speaker A:I personally am not a perfectionist.
Speaker A:Maybe sometimes I should be, but I'm not.
Speaker A:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:Because at the end of the day, things change.
Speaker A:And I know that.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Like, and I actually like to change things.
Speaker A:I don't like everything to be perfect.
Speaker A:For me, it feels a little bit stuck, stuffy.
Speaker A:Sometimes when things are perfect, I enjoy that kind of messy, you know, action that, that full, like, let's just try it.
Speaker A:Let's just do it messy.
Speaker A:Let's just do it scared.
Speaker A:You know, I really love and thrive in that energy.
Speaker A:And so I know that not everybody does.
Speaker A:But I want you to see sales, right?
Speaker A:Like, I want you to get new clients.
Speaker A:I want you to put your offers out there with confidence and know that, like, something might be wrong and that's okay.
Speaker A:Get it out there, sell it, and I'll be honest, I guarantee you might actually get amazing feedback and probably nothing will go wrong.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Like, in most cases, when you just put it out there, things work.
Speaker A:Clients are happy.
Speaker A:Because again, your clients aren't expecting perfect.
Speaker A:They're not perfect.
Speaker A:And that's another really key point here, is that a lot of clients I've talked to, you know, when we talk about like, oh, I'm trying to make this perfect and I want this to be exactly so, or this or that or whatever it is, a lot of times on the consumer side, they say, like, I don't know, like, sometimes when I see something and it looks so perfect, it almost looks like too good to be true, or like I'm not good enough for that because it's so perfect and it looks, you know, so well done and I don't know, I feel like I'm a hot mess and I'm probably not a good fit when in reality they are.
Speaker A:They are a good fit.
Speaker A:And so are you actually turning people off by trying to make everything look just a certain way and be so at such a level of perfection that people can't relate to it either?
Speaker A:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:Like, there's a, there is really, there's something to that where people can't relate to that level.
Speaker A:And so go put your offer out there.
Speaker A:I guarantee.
Speaker A:I know there's something on your mind right now that you've been waiting on, but you're just, it doesn't matter.
Speaker A:It could even just be an email.
Speaker A:It could just be an email.
Speaker A:I see that, you know, I see this trap of perfectionism come into play when it comes to social media content, when it comes to graphics, when it comes to simply sending an email, right?
Speaker A:Like, it doesn't have to be perfect.
Speaker A:Send the damn email.
Speaker A:Put two sentences in an email and send it out.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Like some of my best emails, actually, I think my highest open rate email was two sentences.
Speaker A:I think it just said, in case nobody's told you today, I believe in you, right?
Speaker A:Like, that was it.
Speaker A:It wasn't perfect.
Speaker A:I thought of it in the moment.
Speaker A:I just thought, you know what?
Speaker A:Somebody needs to hear this today and I'm going to put it out there.
Speaker A:And it was not only my highest open, I got the most replies on that and there was nothing.
Speaker A:There was no level of perfection in it.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:And so that's what I'm saying.
Speaker A:Like sometimes you're going to get the best results from that.
Speaker A:Like in the moment, spur of the moment, messy action that you just like, you know what?
Speaker A:I'm just going to do it.
Speaker A:I'm just going to put this out there and I'm going to see where it goes and I'm going to see how it lands.
Speaker A:And the reality is, if it doesn't land, you haven't put that much time and effort into it.
Speaker A:But also too, like, think about how much time you've spent putting in every single detail, how much time, energy, resources have you put into something and then only to find out, like, it doesn't land.
Speaker A:It doesn't land.
Speaker A:And then you're like so disappointed because it didn't land with your clients when in reality, you know, maybe it just, you needed more feedback first.
Speaker A:Maybe you needed to do that beta launch.
Speaker A:Maybe you needed to just put something out there and see what kind of feedback you got and see if it was something that your clients even wanted.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Sell before you create.
Speaker A:I talk about that all the time, but, like, get it out there and then create it.
Speaker A:Create it.
Speaker A:Once you've got it sold, then create it.
Speaker A:And I know that so hard for so many of you, but I promise you it's going to save you hours and hours and hours of time and energy and money and all this just to, and it's actually going to increase your sales because you're going to get out there and you're going to just do it right.
Speaker A:You're going to just put your offer in front of people.
Speaker A:That's really the, at the end of the day, if you are trying to grow and scale your business, you have got to get your offer in front of people.
Speaker A:That's what it comes down to.
Speaker A:People need to know that they can hire you.
Speaker A:And if you're sitting on the back end of your business, behind your keyboard, behind your screen, worrying about every little detail, people can't buy from you.
Speaker A:They don't know that you are available.
Speaker A:They cannot purchase your offer if it's not in front of them.
Speaker A:You've got to get your offers out there and know that it can change.
Speaker A:And yes, making changes can be a pain in the ass.
Speaker A:And yes, it can be time consuming, but it's not near as time consuming as getting something all perfect only to find out that it all needs to be changed again.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So find your good enough.
Speaker A:And I don't mean that negatively, but find that spot that you feel like you can put something out there with confidence and feel good about it.
Speaker A:Where is that?
Speaker A:What is that sweet spot for you?
Speaker A:What is that spot of?
Speaker A:You know what?
Speaker A:I feel good about this.
Speaker A:I know it's not perfect.
Speaker A:I know it could be improved, but I feel good about it.
Speaker A:What does that look like for you?
Speaker A:Ask yourself that question.
Speaker A:Like, really ask yourself that question.
Speaker A:What would make you feel confident enough to put your offer out there?
Speaker A:Whatever you're working on and know it's not done.
Speaker A:No, it's not perfect.
Speaker A:Know that it could potentially need change.
Speaker A:But, like, where is that point where you're like, you know what?
Speaker A:I feel good about this.
Speaker A:You've got to find that spot.
Speaker A:You've got to find that spot.
Speaker A:Because if not, it's just you're going to continue to stifle your growth, and it's going to cause you to not be able to implement your action, any of your new ideas.
Speaker A:You're going to get constantly wrapped up in this paralysis feeling which leads to these feelings of like, oh, my gosh, I'm not getting enough done.
Speaker A:People aren't buying.
Speaker A:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:Like, it's just this snowball effect, and it doesn't need to be that way.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Your clients are not expecting perfection.
Speaker A:This podcast is not perfect.
Speaker A:I was tripping over my words a few minutes ago.
Speaker A:Sometimes I have talking points for my episodes.
Speaker A:Sometimes I just get down here and.
Speaker A:And speak from the heart.
Speaker A:A lot of times they're not perfect.
Speaker A:I don't even have my editor edit too much of them because I don't really want them to be perfect.
Speaker A:Because some of the best feedback that I get from all of you is that you enjoy that they're not perfect.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:You enjoy that they're not scripted.
Speaker A:You like that.
Speaker A:It sounds exactly like as if I were having a conversation with you.
Speaker A:Like, if we jumped on Zoom, I would have this exact same conversation with you.
Speaker A:If you came to me and said, michelle, I'm struggling with this perfectionism, you'd get the same conversation, right?
Speaker A:It's not perfect.
Speaker A:It's just from the heart.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's kind of in the moment.
Speaker A:And your clients appreciate that so much.
Speaker A:So I just want you to really think about, where is perfectionism stopping me, right, from taking action?
Speaker A:Where is perfectionism stopping me from making sales?
Speaker A:Where is perfectionism stopping me from putting myself out there, right?
Speaker A:Ask yourself those questions and answer them honestly.
Speaker A:And then flipped, flip the script and say, where can I feel confident and good enough, right?
Speaker A:What feels like I'm.
Speaker A:I feel really confident in this.
Speaker A:Right?
Speaker A:Like, where is that point?
Speaker A:And also, too, sometimes maybe this perfectionism is simply just in a lack of knowledge.
Speaker A:Maybe there's something where you're just kind of like, I don't know if this is right.
Speaker A:Who do you need to ask?
Speaker A:Go ask for help.
Speaker A:There's people out there that can help you, right?
Speaker A:Like, there is no need to sit here and be wrapped up in it.
Speaker A:If there's thousands of skilled professionals out there that can help you, and maybe that's all you really need is somebody that can help you get that one last thing done.
Speaker A:That one last thing done to get that offer out there.
Speaker A:Okay?
Speaker A:Go take action.
Speaker A:Get it done.
Speaker A:Feel good?
Speaker A:Good enough done is better than perfect.
Speaker A:Action fuels momentum.
Speaker A:Okay.
Speaker A:I love you.
Speaker A:I believe in you.
Speaker A:Talk to you soon.
Speaker A:Thanks so much for listening today.
Speaker A:But remember, now it's time to take action.
Speaker A:My goal is to get you results.
Speaker A:So what is one action you can commit to taking this week?
Speaker A:Feel free to share it with me in my DM's or tag me on your socials.
Speaker A:Not sure what action to take?
Speaker A:Grab the link in the show notes and schedule a strategic power hour.
Speaker A:We can talk through it together and get you a strategic plan of action in just 60 short minutes.
Speaker A:Oh, and one last favor.
Speaker A:As with every podcast, reviews and ratings are what help us continue to show up and grow.
Speaker A:So if you wouldn't mind, please take a quick minute to leave a five star review on Apple or Spotify and share this episode with a friend.
Speaker A:Thanks.
Speaker A:Talk soon.
