Overcome perfection paralysis: Tips from content creators
You've probably had a friend who could not finish a project due to the fact that they believed every element had to be perfect. But, perfection doesn't exist (truly). As a result, your work is left to sit unfinished on their computer or in their studio. Many might think that their time wasted as there is no way to enjoy what the creator created.
Perfectionism can be a major blocker for creators and entrepreneurs. In a research study conducted by the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, perfectionism can be linked with "feelings of failure, guilt or guilt, indecisiveness, procrastination guilt, shame and feelings of low self-esteem." This is why individuals struggle to complete the task or project - this has been dubbed the perfection paralysis.
However, how can you get over it?
The process of letting go of perfection and revising to a more actual standard of what can be shared is a challenge. To help you do this we asked two expert knowledge creators to speak on their experiences of conquering perfectionism during a live summit in August of 2022. Watch the video on YouTube:
Before we begin to dive into the secrets, get to know our speakers:
Steve Harris is a global business coach that helps high-performing organisations and individuals to bridge the gap between their capabilities and their performance. Self described as "ruthless" and "ruthless," he's worked with over 1,000 clients, pushing clients to complete the work and achieve stellar results.
Grace Abbott is a multi-hyphenate designer, strategist, and branding expert that specializes in growing companies that are at the crossroads of commerce and content. In the last five years, she has been dedicated to creating To Be Magnetic - turning an old wellness blog into a rapidly growing membership site - the most popular destination for Neural manifestation.
The responses have been edited to ensure simplicity.
How come people become too caught up in perfection?
How have you overcome perfectionism?
Digital items don't need be perfect, but they still need to reach a certain level of quality in order to be sold. Can a designer set their standards to a level of quality that's still suitable for their business and their brand?
Grace states:
"Consider whether it reflects the quality of your content and information you're likely to provide? Does it tell a compelling tale of what you have to offer? And then of course you need to ensure that when you're making a copy edit or that you've got top-quality video and audio. These are all things that are going to make the user experience as top-quality as possible.
But I think more than anything, just going to the next level. You don't need to have a really high end production crew to create an outstanding video. You can make a great video with your iPhone. Just be mindful that you don't have any background noise and that the audio quality's excellent.
What is the first thing a knowledgeable creator could make to create their first digital product?
Steve says:
"I find that a lot of entrepreneurs get caught up with their message and they're not thinking about the market. You must ask yourself - can there be a market for my message? Now, how do you determine if there is any market to your message?
It's really quite simple - ask certain questions like:
- What's the problem that my message or my passion can solve?
- Who has the problem and needs this solution?
- What are the folks you're called to serve?
- How are you going to find them?
- What will they do to locate you?
- How much are they able to spend?
- Why should someone go to you rather than all the options available?