Success Strategy: Sometimes Something is Better Than Nothing

I would not call myself a perfectionist. I have friends and colleagues who would disagree, and they are entitled to their opinion. I have, however, always strived to do "A" work.

Grades were always important to my parents, especially my father. As far as he was concerned, "A" was for "average" so my brothers and I had better get at least "A's." We did! But I soon determined that working harder than what I needed to do get an "A" did not yield me a higher grade. ("A+" really does not count for anything.) Since then, my philosophy has been to do well enough to get an "A" but to not worry about being perfect unless perfection was essential. Overall, this has served me well and has contributed to my personal and professional success.

I am realizing, however, that sometimes it is better to do something, even if it is only "B" or even "C" work than to do nothing. Frequently my projects do not get done because I do not think the quality is good enough. Or they are greatly delayed because the quality is not what I would like. I realize now that sometimes it is better just to do something than nothing.

Social media is a good example. I delayed getting into LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook for a long time because I did not think I could do it well enough. Finally I just started. What I have found is that, although I am not very good, at least getting my name out is having benefits. And, surprise, surprise, as I do it more, I am getting better. (Also, I am truly having fun connecting with old friends on Facebook!)

My suggestion to you perfectionists out there is to ask yourself a simple question for each project. Is "A" work going to reap any greater benefits than "B" or even "C" work? If not, do lesser quality and move on to the next project! Not everything has to be perfect everyday!