Perfection Paralysis is One Step Away From the Submit Button

Nothing is quite as terrifying as submitting something for sale that isn’t perfect

On Sunday, I submitted my first journal for print on Amazon!

It was a project I’d been thinking about over my holiday break, and it became an ambitious obsession.

I wanted to create something that helped me during my mum's cancer journey — and that was showing gratitude despite what was going on in my life.

So, I had this big idea for creating a journal.

Initially, it was a 90-day challenge, but the software I used couldn’t cope with that many pages.

So I kept wracking my brain on what would be best — and I felt 30 days was an excellent way to start implementing lasting change.

It does take approximately one month to instil a shift after repetition on a daily basis.

But like anything that you first start, it wasn’t perfect.

It felt like I was venturing into uncharted black waters, whilst aware of the sharks around me — trying to accumulate enough faith in myself to hit the ‘approval’ button.

If it’s a success, GREAT — but more likely, it could be a complete failure, and I’m ok with that.

Tony Robbins mentions in Unleash the power within that the gap between excellence and exceptional is so tiny — so many people give up just before hitting the mark.

He uses the analogy of lifting weights (which resonates very well with me).

To become exceptional — grow muscle faster & develop a ripped body; you need to go above and beyond the average rep count.

For example, most people stop at the 10th rep because their trainer wrote in a program — or they have been told to do so.

But, it’s those who move towards the exceptional level complete 11–13 reps per set!

So, even though the muscle is burning like hell, they keep on going because they know it’s those extra reps that make the difference needed to grow bigger muscles.

Burning muscles and discomfort signify you are doing the right thing, and you should keep going.

This is so accurate on many more levels than just muscle!

• It’s those who make those three extra phone calls, might get another sale
• It’s those that create three more pieces of content that could get a viral hit
• It’s those that do that little bit extra at work, without anyone asking them to and get a promotion
• It’s those people that listen to one last tutorial that finally hit the mark on understanding a complex problem.

Can you resonate with any of the above at all?

Key Takeaway

Throughout life, we all have the chance to do that little bit extra to drive us towards excellence.

So do it even though no one notices. Do it because you want to reach an exceptional level in everything you do. It gives you a satisfaction of achievement.

It takes work, effort, building relationships, networks, and doing a lot of extra stuff for nothing. But that’s all part of the process.

Those who do more for others, more in their job, in their side hustles and life, get the extra reward in the end.

So, if you are in a position where all you need to do is press submit — do it, there is no better time to try than right now.

If you don’t try, you will never learn how you could be!

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