And how to do it.
When I released my first book about starting a side hustle in 2017, I was like every new author: anxious, excited, and full of hope.
I laid my heart on the pages as I wrote. I hired an editor and pursued self-publishing, creating my own deadlines to hold myself accountable. As I was writing, I got another big career opportunity (thanks, universe!) that I wanted to align with my book release. But that meant I had to pick up the pace. So, my editor and I hurried to get it done.
As a result, two things happened.
I released the book — yay! The response was largely positive, which I couldn’t have been happier about. (And later, it was bought by a publisher who could distribute it widely.)
At the same time, I received messages from multiple sources highlighting my typos and grammatical errors. Someone told me I was an utter joke (a PG version of the actual comment). Another person told me I was “why the entire literary business is going down the pan” (also the PG edit).
I cringed. Those comments made my heart feel like a woeful, deflated balloon. I wondered if I was a total idiot, and part of me regretted the whole endeavor.
How? By remembering these three things:
1. “85%” is still pretty great
Looking back, I’d give my first book an 85% (or, a B+). And I’m proud of that because good enough is, in fact, good enough.
Releasing it — albeit on a tight schedule — created so much positive momentum in my life. I was delighted to hear from people who applied my advice and followed their new business dreams. One young woman who left the military due to a health condition started her coaching company and relied on my book for structure and support. Stories like hers made every ounce of negative feedback tolerable.
We’re not in school anymore — unless you’re making a movie and looking at Rotten Tomatoes, no one’s grading your efforts out of 100%. That imaginary extra 15% that we sometimes kill ourselves over often isn’t that important, nor does it make much of a difference to the overall outcome.
Think of it this way: Having friends over for takeout (85%) is better than planning the perfect dinner party (100%) because that latter will never happen — “perfect” isn’t possible. So if you try to plan a flawless event, you might never see your friends — and if you do, you’ll spend the evening beating yourself up about mismatched crockery (and that dodgy appetizer you took a risk trying for the first time) instead of enjoying the company and giving yourself some credit for putting the gathering together.
“Let it be an 85” is a mantra you can repeat while working, cooking, exercising, hosting family for summer barbecues, or even posting on social media. The real work isn’t in that 15 percent, it’s between the 0 and 85 you end up with because when we give in to the pressure of perfection, we’re more likely to do nothing. So if you’re feeling defeated something can’t be *perfect*, remember that it’s a win if you did anything at all.
2. Perfection misses the point
Showing up imperfectly is so much better than not showing up at all. Yes, my first book had typos. And no, they were certainly not part of the plan. But, these errors are enormously secondary compared to the actual purpose of the book.
I recently coached a woman through her fear of public speaking. She’s especially self-conscious because English is her second language. I told her, “Agata! This is about your incredible story, not mimicking how the Queen speaks! Many people have English as their second or third language. All we want to hear is your passion and genuine voice — that’s what moves us.”
When we seek perfection, it’s like we focus on a small dent in the frame and not the beauty of the picture itself. Ever notice how a person becomes more relaxed and at ease after a serious illness or accident as if they just no longer sweat the small stuff? We don’t have to wait for something traumatic to happen to embrace this life-changing perspective.
We think perfectionism is about high standards. It’s not: It’s about anxiety. We’re so scared to be judged, criticized, laughed at, rejected, and embarrassed (insert any scary thought or emotion here) that we’ll do anything to avoid that feeling.
I don’t know about you, but “she never made a mistake” is not what I’ll be thinking about on my deathbed. Neither will you. We’ll rue what we missed out on because we were too scared to go for it.
3. Ordinary leads to extraordinary
“Extraordinary” has the word “ordinary” in it because ordinary is the foundation.
There are no two ways about it. If you want to reach your potential in any way, you must be willing to be bad at new things — writing a book, baking a cake, or even re-engaging with a former hobby. You WILL suck for a while. You will be rusty or inexperienced, and that’s OK. This is why grit and resilience are more important than talent, skill, or any other perceived advantages when it comes to succeeding at anything at all. In so many cases, success can be achieved just by sticking with it.
Susie Moore is a British life coach, author, and host of the top-rated podcast Let It Be Easy. She’s a sought-after expert for media outlets and has been featured on the TODAY Show, Good Morning America, Business Insider, Oprah, The Wall Street Journal, and more. Sign up for her 6 journal prompts to Coach Yourself to Success in 6 Days.
