Done is Better Than Perfect

Per our normal rhythm, I record Meaning Over Money podcast episodes by myself, then let Cole know the episode is ready for his editing magic. We also tend to be 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule, with 4-6 episodes in the can at any given time. That changed recently during the holiday season. Between our crazy schedules, travel, and celebrations, we simply took our eye off the ball. It all culminated on New Year’s weekend when I let Cole know Monday’s episode was ready for him to edit. He quickly informed me he would be completely tied up all weekend and wouldn’t be in a position to produce it in time for Monday’s launch.

In that moment, we could have easily decided not to release an episode on Monday. It wouldn’t have been the end of the world. After all, we’ve released two episodes per week, on our scheduled release day, for 93 consecutive weeks. So one missed day wouldn’t have damaged us. But we have a motto: “done is better than perfect.” Actually, this is Cole’s motto. I’m a recovering perfectionist and Cole has beaten his mantra into me over the years. In fact, if it were up to me, we’d still be thinking about someday starting a podcast. That’s how much of a perfectionist I was

Our solution? I recorded a totally raw, totally unedited episode about this very idea, then hit publish. The episode wasn’t perfect…..but it was done. And frankly, I felt really good about it. I would have loved this episode to have proper editing, intros and outros, and all the other bells and whistles we expect from ourselves. But done is better than perfect.

Here’s what I’ve learned over time. Something done can impact people. It might not be perfect (err, it will NEVER be perfect), but done is always better than perfect. Done = impact. Something released into the world - with all its imperfections and flaws - can add value to someone’s journey. Conversely, perfection = potential. When we hold onto something and wait until it’s perfect, it can’t impact anyone. Nobody benefits from unreleased work while the creator pursues perfection. And the problem with perfection is it will never come. There’s always something to improve, to change, to enhance.

So what about you? Are you holding onto something in pursuit of perfection? Send it, launch it, publish it, share it……do whatever you need to do. Done is better than perfect!

You can listen to this podcast episode on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.