This blog post nearly didn’t get written. I’ve been working at a frenetic pace for the last month. It’s half term. It’s Halloween. I’ve got a bit of a cold. There are a million and one excuses as to why it would be easier to let this month’s blog slide rather than put metaphorical pen to paper. The problem is that that decision has a knock on effect. The team and I have already done most of the hard work for this month’s newsletter but without a blog post it can’t go out. I’ve filmed a video, chosen the other articles and the team have designed it all and made it look fantastic. Not writing this post would also mean that we miss our twelfth edition milestone. Every month for the last year we’ve stuck to the plan and shared our top tips with the world. But this morning, the last day of the month, as I sat looking at a blank screen thinking about what to write it wasn’t looking promising. Then all of a sudden it hit me, a mantra used by my friend and mentor Daniel Priestley on his excellent Key Person Of Influence programme “Prolific Beats Perfect”… It was a lesson I needed to heed but also one that I think it is important to share.
I admit it. I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I like things to be just right. I put a lot of thought and effort into everything I do. But sometimes that holds me back. It makes me slower to react and means I miss out on opportunities. Sometimes my perfectionism is also just an excuse for not taking action. It’s easier not to begin than to risk failure or even success! If you’ve ever found yourself tidying your desk when you should be doing something important then you’ll know what I mean!!
So the most import thing to do is to start. Take the first step. Write the first word. Do whatever you need to do to get some momentum. You never become known for the book you didn’t write. You never make the sale to the person you didn’t speak to. You never get good at public speaking if you avoid doing it all together. So rather than worrying about becoming perfect at something aim to get prolific at it instead. The funny thing is, the more you do that thing, the better you become at it anyway, so you may just reach the heady heights of perfection without even trying!
So here it is. My blog post for October 2018. The twelfth post in the last twelve months. It might not be perfect but it’s here for all to see. And most importantly writing it has taught me a big lesson today. Not a lesson about blog writing but a lesson about taking action even if you feel stuck or you don’t really feel like it. Sometimes you have to lean in and push outside of your comfort zone... You also need to make sure you take good care of yourself and have down time too so I’m off to make a cup of tea and to carve my pumpkin. Happy Halloween everyone!