Kim Kelley ThompsonOne of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in building my businesses is that I had to let my perfectionism go. I’m sure you’ve heard it said that perfection kills productivity and it’s true.
Do you ever see people doing what you’d love to do and think, “Oh My Gosh, seriously? If she can do it, so can I.”
What’s the difference between them and you?
They understand the power of action and they’ve pushed through their fears or perfectionism (call it whatever you choose) to take action. As soon as you get into ACTION, momentum takes over. It’s the 80/20 principle, which basically says 80% of the work gets done by 20% of the people or you can do 80% of your work in 20% of the time, that is of course when you have a plan and take action on it.
Ever notice how fast you can accomplish something when you set a deadline?? That’s because there’s a sense of urgency that takes over. Urgency creates momentum. But before you can get into action, the kind of action that actually produces results rather than just busy work, you have to know where you want to go and you have to believe you can get there.
2 steps to overcome perfectionism & blast through fear
This tends to be the stumbling block for many entrepreneurs. The difference between someone who has an idea and someone who actually takes action on that idea is belief. Belief comes from confidence, which often comes from action. Which means you have to silence any fear or doubt trying to derail your desire.
Two of the best ways I now to silence our own inner critic and boost our belief is to:
1.) Realize that our subconscious acts on the dominant thought and it makes absolutely NO distinction between what’s real and what is imagined. It translates thought into reality, regardless of whether that thought is driven by fear or courage. So first, you have to watch those dominate thoughts.
2.) Secondly, you have to begin taking action on your idea. It may be baby steps at first. You may offer a free workshop or give away free product to promote your services. That’s ok, as long as you give your very best, over-deliver and follow-up. Remember action builds momentum.
When you’re in your element, doing what you are truly good at and love to do, giving your best, your confidence naturally rises, silencing any fear. It’s from this space that we’re able to clearly state what we truly want. When we’re able to do that, we naturally begin to build momentum, overcome doubt and ditch perfectionism aka fear.
It takes patience to create something great. It takes belief in yourself and what you have to offer and it takes clarity on what you want your life and business to look like.
Building the momentum that beats perfectionism and fear
You can build that belief and determine your action steps by taking the time to write down your goals. We’re almost at the midpoint for this year. Did you have goals for his year? Did you write them down? Are you on-track or has your energy been diluted?
Often we start out the new year with an abundance of things we’d like to accomplish, yet after a few months into it, we realize there’s no way we are ever going to get to all the things on our list. So this is where focused action comes in. Time to take a good look at the things we truly desire and the things we can do without – at least for now. If they’re not moving you towards your ultimate objectives, then let them go.
We’re building belief and confidence here. This is the time to commit to the goals that will build your business and focus only on those things that grow your business. A great way to determine just what to take action on and what to let go is to ask yourself “Who will I have to become in order to make my goals my reality?” and “What do I need to do differently?”
Your answers are a huge clue as to the areas where you need to focus your energy. And…it leads us back to the very beginning. Once you know those answers, you can then create a plan of action, which in turn will help build your momentum and silence any self-doubt. Remember, momentum trumps perfectionism all the time. Momentum is a game changer.
