One of the things I often wrestle with is the balance between shipping (pushing that project live) and perfectionism. Between knowing that nothing really counts in this world until you’ve pressed “print”, and knowing that I could always make it better.
Srini’s recently published book exalts the merits of being “raw”; of being personality filled sanding off the edges, while Szymanski explores the pros and cons of perfectionism. And both have valid arguments. So where’s the balance?
For me, I believe it’s in shifting my thinking around what it means to be perfect. And doing so by thinking about perfection in the eyes of my target audience; the people I really want my message/project/program/etc. to resonate with. It’s about feeling that whatever I’m shipping is an accurate representation of what I set out to accomplish in the first place. And being ok with the fact that it won’t resonate with everyone. Because if my message is clear enough – if it’s on-point enough, and focused in a way that truly resonates with someone on a visceral level – then by default, it’s not going to resonate with most people. And maybe that fits a new paradigm of perfection.
