When Is It Good Enough?

Do you suffer from the same problem of "perfectionitis"? You just can't let other people see your work until it is perfect. And you suffer for days trying to make it perfect right up until the deadline leaving you stressed and exhausted and feeling like it still isn't perfect enough. Let me share with you a key to overcoming "perfectionitis".

A mentor of mine by the name of Mike Litman compiled a book called Conversations With Millionaires based on his radio interviews with wealthy and successful people that included:

• Tony Robbins Millionaire Mentor, Jim Rohn
• #1 Authors of One Minute Millionaire: Robert Allen & Mark Victor Hansen!
• Rich Dad, Poor Dad co-Author, Sharon Lechter
• Jack Canfield, co-Author of Chicken Soup for the Soul
• Michael Gerber, Author of The E-myth
• The Genius behind 1-800-FLOWERS, Jim McCann
• Guerilla Marketing Author, Jay Conrad Levinson
• Even Chocolate Chip Cookie Guru, Wally 'Famous' Amos!
  

These are people who told him the secrets of their rise from obscurity and financial devastation to fame and fortune. You would think that a lot of care would go into preparing this book for release to the public. But Mike released the book before it had even been proofread! Why would he do that? Why would he put something out there that even he admits he would be embarrassed to have associated with his name now?

The reason why is because of a little piece of advice he received from a mentor of his. The advice he received was:

"You don't have to get it right. You just have to get it going."

~ Joe Shroeder

Mike no longer tries to get his projects and ideas to "A+" quality and presentation before he shares them with others. When they are a "C", he gets them out there, then listens to the feedback of what other people think would make it better, and then makes the changes. Have you heard of the terms "beta-testing", "updates" and "version x.x" in the computer software industry? These are real-life examples of this principle.

So what are you trying to perfect in your life right now that is causing you to procrastinate getting it out there? It doesn't have to be great. Just get it to good and then ask people around you how you could make it better. I did that when I started The Millionaire Marathon and you can do it to!

I Don't Want To!

My wife and I spent some time talking this evening about the things we want to accomplish this year. One of the major obstacles we both face, and maybe you are facing it to, is that we don't necessarily want to do all the little things that will bring us the results we want. It reminded me of something Mike Litman, a mentor of mine, taught me on his Greatness Held Hostage cd. What he taught me is:

"Successful people do the things they don't want to do!"

You may be facing a difficult or perhaps just an unattractive task that is standing in the way of you and your success. It could be working out every day and eating healthier foods. It may be cutting out unnecessary expenses and saving more money. It may be cultivating a more forgiving attitude and being kind to those who are unkind to you. You know what it is that you don't want to do. The question you really need to ask yourself is: "Do I want the results more than I not wanting to do this task?"

Look at your reasons why you want to accomplish your goals and resolutions. (You did write them down, right?) Are your reasons big enough to carry you past the seeming unpleasantness of doing this task? Is achieving the results important enough to you to do what you don't want to do?

It isn't always motivation that we need - sometimes it is just momentum. Give yourself a 30-day challenge. Perform this "unpleasant" task consistently for 30 days and then evaluate yourself at the end of that period. Is it still as unpleasant as when you started or are you starting to enjoy yourself? I think you will find, more often than not, that the task is not nearly so difficult or unpleasant as what you thought it would be when you started and you will be doing it on a daily basis with ease and great satisfaction. And, if you keep doing that task and either step it up a little more for the next 30 days or add another essential goal-achieving task to your daily regiment, you will be well on your way to achieving your goals and your dreams!

(To find out how to get your own copy of Mike Litman's Greatness Held Hostage cd or a copy of his book Conversations With Millionaires, visit http://www.mikelitman.com/.)