Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. French philosopher Voltaire coined this phrase back in the 1700s. Yet today, hundreds of years later, many of us do not follow this guiding principle in our lives.
The result? Inaction. A lack of progress. Goals not achieved.
Most people who suffer from “analysis paralysis” focus too much on the end result.
They’re paralyzed into not taking action because they cannot achieve the perfect outcome they envision.
To put it another way, the desire for perfection is the obstacle standing in the way of improvement.
So, how can you defeat this problem?
The answer is simple, “take action.”
In the words of legendary Hall of Fame coach, leader, and motivator Vince Lombardi,
Perfection is not obtainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.
If you’re like me, you’ll take excellence every day of the week.
Heck, even “good enough” is good enough for nearly all of the things we undertake in our personal and professional lives on a daily basis. Remember, there is great truth in the law of diminishing returns.
Take this post for example.
Did I set out to write the perfect post on this topic, optimizing keywords, tweaking every sentence until it looks and sounds just right, and promoting it across social media?
Absolutely not.
I published this post in 30 minutes. It put it out there for you to think about. To reflect on. To help you take some action in your life and stop getting so bogged down in seeking perfection that you get nowhere.
Related: How To Say No More Often
Here are some examples.
If you want to create a product and sell it online, make it and sell it.
Don’t spend a lifetime trying to account for every conceivable issue that may come up with your product. Just ship it. You can always make improvements if needed down the road.
If you want to go to the gym to improve your health and physique, go to the gym.
Don’t wait for the perfect time, the perfect class, or the perfect trainer. Go to the gym today and lift some weights. Go the next day and train more. Build momentum and a healthy habit will soon follow.
If you want to start a business, start a business.
Don’t wait until you have an iron-clad business plan and hundreds of clients waiting in the wings. Take your idea live. Get the ball rolling. Figure things out as you go along.
Conclusion
Always remember that good enough is better than stagnation.
Get started today.
Keep moving forward.
Keep improving.
And never let perfect be the enemy of good again.
All the best,
JD
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