Friends of Dave #259: the great santa shortage
Being able to say "That'll do" is truly liberating
Had the opportunity and pleasure to catch up with former colleague, and FOD Sheila Farrelly this week. It had been a while since we had last spoken, but it was one of those natural conversations that sort of easily picked up from where we last left off maybe 10-15 years ago. It was great to reconnect.
As we chatted, Sheila mentioned a creative project she had recently finished. We discussed how challenging the creative process can be sometimes, especially when you have perfectionist tendencies.
"You know I've learned that sometimes you just have to say 'That'll do' and be okay with that and move on," Sheila observed.
She was so right. What she didn't know at the time was that I myself have been grappling with a challenging project that has taken probably longer to complete than necessary. It has involved doing some research, synthesizing information gathered and putting myself out there by developing a point of view for others to judge.
Not an easy task, but it has been made much harder by my interest in making sure I "get things right" the first time. Needless to say, it's been a painful process for me and others involved in the project.
But this happens to everyone, right? We get sucked into something and pour ourselves into it so much that we develop a tight grip on the result.
We want people to like it and find it valuable. We want people to appreciate it (and, sometimes, while the "people" part may be colleagues, customer, friends, family, etc. it can often just be ourselves). We don't just want it to be really good, we want it to be "perfect."
When we get locked into this state, the idea of a potential result that could less than perfect somehow means we "failed." And when we tend to be a perfectionist, just the mere thought of missing the mark can be debilitating.
That's where being able to stop and just say "that'll do" can be so powerful.
It liberates us from that death grip that is on us and allows us to get things done. So what if people don't like it or find it valuable? So what if they don't appreciate it? So what if they disagree with our point of view? So what if it isn't 'perfect'?
Too often we build these things up because we become afraid of the judgement we perceive is awaiting for us when we put something out there and complete it. More often than not, that judgement and reaction we fear is much harsher in our minds than what it ends up being in reality.
That's why you just have to snap out of it, keep things simple and be comfortable saying "that'll do."
And that is what I ultimately decided to do this week on my own project. I put forth my best effort and figured it was time to wrap it up. There will be room for improvement after the reviews come in -- I can handle it. I will course correct if needed and we will continue moving forward. I just needed to get it done and out there.
That'll do. Just like that, we have progress.
Do you have something you have been working on that seems to be stalled somehow due to your own indecision or fear of judgement? If so, I recommend finding the courage to take Sheila's advice and just say "that'll do." It's not as complicated to do as you think. And, trust me, you will be fine.
If not, call me....I'll forward you Sheila's information and you can take it out on her....LOL....
I think that'll do with the intro this week. I'm feeling good about the articles below too -- definitely recommend taking some time and reading the EQ post by our buddy Bill O'Herron as well as the crazy story in the Last Word if you can. It will make you want to quit your job and go on TikTok and make a ton of money.
Have a good one everybody!
XOXO
Dave
Think on This...
Understanding Your Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
Empathy and listening are the keys to building trust, and these are not the domain of cool analysis, but the world of heart and intuition.
This is a rare FOD double dip: a guest blog post by Friend of Dave Bill O'Herron on website of Friend of Dave Adam Connors. Don't pass it up.
For Your Day Job...
Should Your Website Drive Prospects to a Demo?
Great post by Dave Kellogg highlighting how using a demo as your primary CTA can frequently lead to problems.
A pitch that is music to the ears
A great pitch is not hitting the right buzzwords or showing the right credentials. A great pitch is a strong conclusion that is supported by uncontroversial, logical, achievable statements that require no magical thinking.
What if a hitmaker like Max Martin produced your next pitch deck? It's all about the storytelling.
SaaS companies quickly replacing subscriptions with usage-based pricing
Usage-based pricing has grown 32% this year and now 45% of software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies use it all or in part, up from 34%, an OpenView survey shows.
Your Weekly Dose of Randomness...
Malawi has asked Mike Tyson to be its cannabis ambassador
"It's ludicrous." -- Mike Tyson.
The US Is Facing a Very Unlikely Shortage: Santas.
Maybe Mike Tyson could be a cannabis ambassador AND a Mall Santa......
The real-life Home Alone house is now bookable on Air BnB Celebrate the season McCallister-style, ya filthy animals.
And The Last Word....
How an Excel TikToker manifested her way to making six figures a day — www.theverge.com
“What? Who are you?” I said, “Just watch.” And then I got this intuition to put Excel on TikTok. I didn’t even have a TikTok app on my phone at the time. I had so much resistance to it because my mental voice was saying, “You’re 27 years old. You cannot make a TikTok.”
Miss Excel went viral on TikTok and Instagram teaching Microsoft Excel tricks while dancing to pop songs. She now makes six figures a day selling training courses.
Seriously, you have to read this and watch one of her videos...I'm doing it all wrong, Friends.......
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