I am calling all perfectionists today! I’ve seen so many authors get stuck in their perfection and not move forward in publishing their book. In this post I remind you it is about progress not perfection.
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When It All Goes Wrong
I started painting this last weekend with my nieces as they inspired me to paint with them. I’ve been having so much fun and I painted some really fun things.
Here are a few of my first paintings:
When you are in a project, like writing a book and you have great content to share, you get really excited.
But then you may suddenly have a road block and start to think “Okay, but it’s not perfect.” You may start to think of quitting and not finishing it.
I had one of these moments today!
I find it ironic and it’s almost like God’s sense of humor with me. It was with the painting below which says “Progress, not Perfection.
I was just finishing it and was adding a little bit of extra white on it. I was using a paint pen for the first time and it exploded.
I got upset and tried to wash it off. Then I thought, “It’s ruined!”
So I stomped over to the kitchen and I threw it in the trash. My husband saw it and said, “Shelley, take a breath. I’m sure a lot of you also had these moments. There will be times that things will not work out the way you want it to. Where you are practicing, you’re learning.”
I knew he was right and suddenly the message of this painting hit me. Progress not perfection.
So I got it back out of the trash and knew I wanted to share this story as an illustration with you.
This is what we call a learning curve. You learn from your experiences.
Think progress not perfection
How many of you know that when you’re an author, a writer or a publisher there is a learning curve?
Sometimes you will have moments when something does not go the way you want it to. Then you start to think of quitting. Then you start to say statements like:
- “I want to throw out this manuscript”
- “I want to give up”
- “I don’t want to do this anymore!”
You may need this reminder today.
It’s about progress, not perfection.
There are so many things that we learn by doing.
I recommend that you continue to inch forward every week on your project instead of thinking about how you need to take a big 
leap. Inching forward and making some kind of progress, is what I encourage my members in Author Audience Academy, to do all the time.
Just keep thinking about making progress and inching forward.
If you haven’t read the book “The Compound Effect” yet, I encourage you to check it out. It’s a great book that talks about progress.
It’s the small consistent actions over time that yield the best results.
We Learn By Our Mistakes
I don’t think I’m going to try to fix the painting that was messed up. I think I’m just going to let it be and try again.
Now, if I continue to practice my painting and my handwriting, I know that I’m going to get better.
This was a learning experience for me. I didn’t realize that the particular paint pen was going to respond that way.
I know however that the next time I use it, I will be more careful and learn from my mistake.
I encourage you today todo the very best you can and over time you will get better.
Progress, not perfection.
Don’t be too hard on yourself
As we practice and practice, there are going to be more frustrating moments like this.
I think, during these times, we just sometimes need to stop, take a deep breath, and give ourselves some grace.
We are the hardest on ourselves aren’t we?
Yes, you want quality work. You want to have the best manuscript, the best book that you can give to the world, but don’t beat yourself up. Don’t give up just because one thing doesn’t work out.
Just keep on trying and learning from every mistake that you make.
Never Stop Trying
Lastly, never stop trying. Don’t stop just because something did not work out right.
Whether it’s a marketing strategy you tried or a new technology you’re learning, never give up. Eventually you will learn what works best for you and what works out for your book.
What are you working on right now? Has perfectionism halted or stopped you?
I encourage you to take the next step. Do the next right thing.
As for me, I’m going to start a new painting. I will keep practicing and so I encourage you to do the same.
If you watch the video, you will notice that my Facebook Live looks different. I am testing out a new system. I am actually on my computer right now, using my webcam, so it will be interesting to see the quality of it and how it all goes.
If you are an Author Audience Academy member, I am creating a bonus training for you this week on using OBS with Facebook Live.
Thank you for being here! I hope you’ve been encouraged by what I shared today.
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