Is Your "Perfect" Content Never Getting Done?
The Uncomfortable Truth About Perfectionism
You know that article you've been working on for three weeks?
The one that's "almost ready" but needs just a bit more tweaking?
Maybe it's the email you keep drafting and redrafting. Or the social media post sitting in your notes app, waiting for the perfect moment to come out of hiding.
Here's the uncomfortable truth: your perfectionism isn't protecting your reputation. No, it's killing your progress.
The Perfect Trap
I see you there, editing that same paragraph for the fifth time.
You tell yourself you're being thorough. Professional. That you want to put your best foot forward.
But what's really happening?
You're hiding.
Perfectionism masquerades as high standards, but it's fear wearing a fancy outfit.
Fear that people won't like what you have to say.
Fear that you're not good enough yet.
Fear that once you hit publish, there's no taking it back.
Guess what? You're right about that last part. There is no taking it back.
And that's exactly why you need to press publish anyway.
Done Is Better Than Perfect
When I started writing online, I thought every piece had to be a masterpiece.
I'd write, rewrite, then rewrite again. I'd research endlessly, trying to cover every possible angle.
I'd polish sentences until they gleamed like diamonds.
Know what happened to most of those "perfect" pieces?
They never saw the light of day.
Meanwhile, the quick thoughts I jotted down and shared without overthinking? Those were the ones that sparked conversations. The ones that helped people. The ones that mattered.
Your audience doesn't need perfection. They need a connection.
They need to know they're not alone in their struggles. They need your perspective and experience, your unique way of seeing the world.
And here's the thing: your "imperfect" content often resonates more than the polished stuff anyway.
The Real Cost of Waiting
While you're perfecting that one piece, how many other ideas are dying in your drafts folder?
How many people could you help right now with the knowledge you already have?
How many connections are you missing because you're too busy perfecting to participate?
Perfectionism isn't just delaying your content.
It's delaying your growth.
Every time you share something imperfect and survive, you build courage. Every comment, like, or message you receive teaches you what matters to your audience. Every piece of feedback helps you improve in real ways, not imaginary ones.
You can't learn to swim by practising on dry land.
Embracing Good Enough
This doesn't mean being sloppy or careless.
It means recognizing when something is good enough to be helpful.
It means understanding that published and imperfect beats perfect and invisible every single time.
It means trusting that your authentic voice, even when it's not polished to perfection, has value.
Some of my most popular pieces have typos in them. Some have points I'd argue differently now. Some are shorter than I'd like or longer than they should be.
But they exist. They've helped people (at least I believe that’s true).
They've started conversations.
They've done their job.
Your Next Step
That piece you've been working on? The one that's "almost ready"?
It's ready.
Maybe it's not perfect. Maybe you could add another section or find a better example. Maybe the conclusion could be stronger.
So what?
Share it anyway.
Your perfectionism is keeping your gifts from the world. Your audience is waiting for your perspective, your story, your unique way of explaining things they're struggling with.
They don't need it to be perfect. They need it real.
They need it now.
Stop perfecting and start connecting. Your courage to be imperfect is exactly what someone needs to see today.
What are you waiting for?
Hit publish.