Nobody's Perfect

I've talked to a number of clients and colleagues who have "almost" completed new products - books, e-books, and so on. The trouble is that the last few steps always seem to stretch out, taking longer and longer.

Does that ever happen to you? If so, you might be caught in the perfection trap.

And I can understand that. When I wrote my first book, I wrote all the material within six months, and then did nothing with it for another twelve months!

So how do you get past this trap?

Obviously, one solution is to forget about perfection, and aim for excellence. There will always be something more to do, so you will never create the perfect product. There's always some more research to consider, another Web site to visit, another case study to add, a new principle to explore, and so on.

However, sometimes that's easier said than done! It's hard to let go of your product, knowing that it could be better.

There's a better way!

Instead of struggling with your beliefs and behaviours around perfection, here's another option: Publish it in bits and pieces.

Do you have a half-written book sitting in a Word document? Or some notes that you've written on a scrap of paper? Or an idea that you jotted down for use in a future product? Publish it!

For example, if it's a half-written book, take an extract and publish it your e-mail newsletter ...

Or add it as an article on your Web site ...

Or take an idea and add it to your blog ...

Or use it as a handout at your next presentation ...

Or put it on your letterhead and fax it to your top 20 clients ...

Or ...

Well, you get the idea ...

So what?

This approach has a number of benefits:

You'll feel more productive, because you really are publishing something.

You add value immediately to clients, colleagues and prospects.

They are more likely to refer you to others, or engage you themselves.

You get valuable feedback from readers about your material.

Best of all, you don't have to go through years of personal development to overcome your perfection issues! Even if you never finish the perfect product, you'll be surprised just how much of it is already out there, working for you.

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Gihan Perera is an Internet coach who helps business professionals with e-marketing and e-learning. He's the author of "Web Sites for Speakers, Trainers, Coaches and Consultants" and "Fast, Flat and Free: How the Internet Has Changed Your Business". Visit http://GihanPerera.com and get your complimentary special reports.

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