The best creative efforts are the ones where the person who’s making stuff also seems to be having fun. In fact, we are often willing to overlook minor imperfections so long as the person who’s committing them appears to be enjoying themselves. But you can’t be having fun unless you’re willing to make a mess. Making a mess is just part of the fun.
The problem is we all put so much pressure on ourselves. We feel everything have to be *just right* or nobody is going to listen or take us seriously. We think people are going to reject what we have to say and, in turn, reject us. But let me tell you something. I’ve published a lot of polished turds in my life–stuff I took way too seriously, and put way too much thought into. It came off stale. People didn’t like it. But then, often the very next day, I’ll publish something off the cuff, so to speak–a blog article, a social media post, a podcast–where the energy is high and the message entertaining–and it will do really well, despite the fact it is full of all these little technical flaws, and reads terribly.
Same with music performances. The times I’ve connected most with an audience are not the times when I’ve hit all the right notes (which never happens), but in those moments of unexpected whimsy; where it feels like we are all just hanging out, having a good time. This, I think, is why people are so attracted to performers like Angus Young of AC/DC. He’s just so much fun to watch and listen to; he’s exactly the kind of guy you’d want to hang out with. What does it matter if he’s hitting a bad note, here or there? Look at how much fun he’s having!
What I’ve learned is overcoming perfectionism is about lowering expectations just enough so you can finally let loose. It’s about being OK with occasional grammatical mistakes and sour notes and missed kicks. The power of this approach is you’ll wind up freeing yourself of so many arbitrary bounds that you’ll produce all that much more creative content in the end, and, in turn, improve a whole lot faster than you would otherwise. You’ll also get over your fear of hitting publish, which is most important.
All of this is really to say you should never let perfection be the enemy of progress, nor great the enemy of good. Give yourself permission to make a mess.
PS – In my own daily battle against perfectionism, I promised myself I’d record whatever I played first on the guitar today—force myself to have fun with it (sounds like any oxymoron; it isn’t)—and hit publish.