Many perfectionists out there would shrink at the very thought of it! Aiming for progress, not perfection.

This was one of the many messages a recent business coaching seminar I went to through Red Day Coaching.

It’s stuck with me so because I have had my own battles with this in the past. This is my take on it. Not necessarily the ‘official’ Red Day Coaching version – apologies to Red Day in advance.

So many people become paralysed by the notion that if you don’t have all the answers right now or the capacity to achieve the ultimate solution - wait until you do. I used to be a long time sufferer of this myself. What it adds up to, is a great excuse to procrastinate and not start anything.

I used to put so much pressure on myself to have every possibility and eventuality mapped out to the nth degree.

What got me over this hurdle a number of years ago was adopting my own little motivating statement - you’ll find on my whiteboard. It simply says “Do something!”. It’s not that I was sitting there staring into space - it’s to remind me that if I just start the ball rolling on projects, momentum will take over.

The key is start somewhere, anywhere. Momentum can only grow if you’re moving in the first place. As the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, you can alter your direction – but the trick is to keep moving.

Measure your success in terms of how far you’ve come, not how far you’ve got to go. Chunk it down into smaller pieces.

Well these are my pearls of wisdom.

Jane Davies
Director - Cat and Moose Marketing Solutions