I have a confession: I'm a perfectionist, at least to some level. (That I want to define my level of perfectionism—or “professionalism,” as I prefer to call it—only confirms I am, indeed, in the perfectionist spectrum.) As might be obvious, this gets meta because I know I can't title this episode “How to Overcome Perfectionism” since I haven't overcome it myself!
If you've been following The Audacity to Podcast for a while, then you've witnessed perfectionism—both its benefits and its disadvantages.
So instead of seeking to teach you how to overcome a personal struggle like this, I want to share what I'm learning, doing, and reminding myself. I hope this will help you in your own podcasting journey, too.
Your audience needs you
People like you
“I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.”
“Stuart Smalley”
Perfectionism is not inherently bad
You can't make “perfect”
But you can still make “excellent”
“Published” is better than “eternal draft”
Would you rather sacrifice, or starve?
The “bar” can be changed
Perfectionism kills momentum
Momentum is greater than stagnation
There is no shame in doing the right thing
Your audience would rather hear from you than not
Delaying allows others to take over
Don't “fake it till you make it”
Train it till you retain it!
Thanks Daniel! You’ve inspired me to put out an episode!
Mission accomplished. 😀
Very inspiring!
I relate to many things you said. And the stories and analogies are nice to listen to. Keep it up, you’re one of the champion podcasters.
I will use the inspiration to press record and stop the for ever lasting preparation process. Thanks 🙏