Have you ever looked at other successful people and wondered "Just how do they make stuff happen so quickly?"
I have, and it's something I've studied over time. In fact, I've even seen it in my own pursuits.
Whether it's getting a start up off the ground, launching a passion project or even getting started with a new hobby, there's one thing that I have noticed really makes the difference between actually making it happen and it falling off the radar.
I'm going to share that one thing with you in just a moment, but first I want to share with you one of my favourite quotes on the subject. One of my mentors once said this to me and since then it has practically become my mantra. In my experience, this quote can really make the difference between success and failure.
Here it is:
"Imperfect action beats perfect inaction every time."
Ah yes, the trusty topic of perfectionism, the one and only surefire route to failure. Because lets face it, if you're projects, dreams and desires stay unhidden, then what have you really created?
It doesn't matter how much time you may have put into a project, an idea, hobby or even a business concept -- if you don't get it out there, then it may as well not have even happened. Let me tell you, this one has been a really big learning curve for me. Because I like things to be of a high standard. I like quality. And when you're a perfectionist, it can be hard to show your creations to the world, especially when they are not quite ready yet.
But do you know something? They will never be ready. And that's why the quote is so powerful:
"Imperfect action beats perfect inaction every time."
There will always be a way to improve and tweak and refine what your working on, but this will never end! And it's this endless search for perfection that will see you risk never actually launching your work.
Interestingly, the irony is that it's often much quicker to just get your ideas out there so you can get feedback from others, than attempting to guess what will and won't work. So as irony would have it, the fastest way to perfect your ideas, projects or hobby-business concepts is to in-fact, launch. Not to keep working on them. Clarity comes from action -- not thought (another favourite quote of mine).
So, if you have wondered how everyone else just makes stuff happen, then know that the answer lies in taking imperfect action. This doesn't mean that you should launch every single idea you ever have, but it does mean that after a moderate amount of planning, ideation and research you should just get on with it instead of focusing on how to make it perfect.
In fact, did you know one of Facebook's old motto's was:
"Move fast and break stuff."
As an fast paced technology company, they were so focused on action, over perfection, that they literally encouraged their developers to write code that might not even work, for the sake of innovation.
So if you've got an idea that you're working on bringing to life, then maybe now is the time to stop perfecting and start sharing it with the world? Even if on a small scale, I guarantee you will find more insights through action, and the opinions of others than you ever will with just you and your own brain.
5 Steps to Make Stuff Happen
- Spend a moderate amount of time in the research, planning and ideation stage
This article first appeared on SimpleLifeStrategies.com. Zoe B is an acclaimed Career Strategist who helps thousands of people all over the world change careers to do work they LOVE. To get started with your own career change, register for Zoe's free online MASTERCLASS: Find a New Career in 30 Days.