Ep. 45 The Stern Truth: Perfectionism Can Be a Business Killer

What holds you back in your business? I bet that the first thing that comes to mind is money. But often, that’s not what’s really holding you back. In today’s episode, I go over the two things that stall your business - perfectionism and procrastination.

As a small business owner, of course you want everything to be perfect. You want your business to look great online. You want your processes completely finished. You want to give your clients the perfect product or service. But that’s playing it too safe, and that’s not realistic.

Holding onto that perfectionist mindset so tightly will actually end up killing the momentum that you’ve built. It stalls your business growth. It costs you time and money. And it will eventually cost you opportunities.

Then that perfectionism can show up as procrastination, delaying until things are exactly in the right place. Entrepreneurs have a perfection problem, and I know how to help this - just start.

Tune in to learn how to change that mindset, even when you don’t feel quite ready. “Done” is always better than “perfect.”

Learn how to get out of perfection and into action with the Momentum Accountability group. Email me at marshall@marshallstern.net to join as a guest for no cost. See more about the group here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/page/momentum 

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Transcript

[00:00:00] If you're like so many other business owners and entrepreneurs and you find yourself getting stuck in perfectionism or procrastination and your business isn't moving forward, then grab a pad of paper and a pen because my friends, this not only the Stern Truth, this episode is for you. Enjoy.

[00:00:28] Hi, I'm Marshall Stern and I've spent over 35 years leading and growing multiple small businesses. I know firsthand the struggles of entrepreneurship, feeling isolated, lonely, overwhelmed, and feeling like you have to do it all by yourself. I've been through multiple recessions, and I have felt the highs and the lows.

[00:00:47] I've been there and I get it. This podcast is here to change that. Every week I will bring you straight talking advice, real world strategies, and honest conversations about what it takes to succeed in business without the fluff, the gimmicks, or the sugar coat it. If you're ready to stop spinning your wheels and start making real progress, then you are in the right place.

[00:01:10] This is the Stern Truth. 

[00:01:15] Alright, welcome back everyone to another episode of the Stern Truth, Business Unfiltered. And today I want to talk about something that came up recently, comes up actually frequently in my client coaching sessions. And that is this whole – this whole idea of perfectionism and procrastination and really what is all stemming from perfectionism.

[00:01:38] So if you're listening to this, thank you. If you're watching this on YouTube… I have actually put down some notes here because I do not want to forget anything. I've done some research on this. I've looked back to some of my client coaching sessions and I want to learn a little bit more about perfectionism and how it does really hold us back from building the success, the business, the traction, not just in business, but really in life as well.

[00:02:08] Okay. It's actually really quietly a business killer. And here's the reason why. And I've seen this over and over and over again. Business owners with great ideas, tons of potential. They're stuck. They're stuck in neutral because they don't think they're quite ready yet. They don't think they're quite ready yet.

[00:02:31] But here's the Stern Truth. Perfectionism isn't about excellence. It's about fear. In most cases, fear of failure, fear of being judged, fear of not being good enough. My friends, perfectionism is costing you. We like to think, though, of perfectionism, meaning having high standards, but the Stern Truth is it often just fear wearing a fancy disguise.

[00:03:00] It's fear wearing a fancy disguise as, oh, I have to have high standards. It has to be perfect. It has to be this, it has to be that. It shows up in various ways for each of us. It shows up sometimes when we're tweaking a post on social media post, constantly in that state. And trust me, I've been there, of tweaking and fixing.

[00:03:22] This image isn't good enough. The words aren't good enough. The hashtags aren't good enough. This isn't good enough. Or a presentation, if we're doing a presentation to a group of people or a sales presentation. It shows up sometimes just avoiding launching something because you don't think you've got it right yet.

[00:03:43] I've seen this with many of my clients, whether it's a program that they're launching, a product or service that they're trying to launch, it's not delegating. It can show up that way, as well as not delegating because no one else can do it as well as you can because you do it to perfection, high standards to your perfection.

[00:04:02] Does that sound like you? Is it sounding familiar? But here's really the thing, here is what it is costing you. Every week. Every week, every moment, every day, you delay launching something, you delay posting something, you delay getting yourself out there. You lose momentum every time you rewrite something.

[00:04:23] For the eighth, ninth, 10th time, an email, a post, a proposal, you're losing energy. You're losing time, and depending on what the situation is, the prospect may have moved on by then. Every time you stop yourself from showing up because you think it's not perfect enough or you're not perfect enough, even doing a video like this, you don't think it's perfect enough.

[00:04:48] Sure, it can be much better. But every time you postpone, you lose connection, you lose momentum, you lose opportunity, my friends, and you lose of course time, which can never get back. Perfectionism, however, for some of us, keeps us busy, right? We're busy perfecting, but it's not necessarily productive. It gives us the illusion of being busy.

[00:05:17] It gives us the illusion of maybe safety even. It's really fear. That's actually what's keeping us from moving forward, getting to that next level, whatever it is for you. An example for this, more recently, I was in a client coaching session and my client kept delaying, launching or relaunching her business because it wasn't good enough.

[00:05:39] Backend wasn't good enough. The systems weren't perfected enough, the website wasn't just right. She lost months and months and opportunity, potential clients. She could have actually been working with another client of mine – procrastinated. It showed up as procrastination on posting on Instagram, on doing reels on Instagram because she didn't think it was good enough.

[00:06:09] She didn't think putting herself on camera was perfect enough. Again, she lost time and potential prospects and clients. So how do we break from it? It's fine to call it what it is. Perfectionism. Perfectionism can totally be a business killer. How do we break from it? How do you shift from perfect to progress?

[00:06:36] That's the key. That's the key. It doesn't have to be perfect. Change your mindset. It doesn't have to be perfect, my friends. Just make progress. How do we do that? You first accept it. Instead of being perfect, I'm going to make some progress. So you start asking yourself, what's the next step I can take? What's the next step I can take?

[00:06:59] Not the perfect step, but the next one. I'll repeat it. Not the perfect step, but the next one, progress. Right? Here's a few things that might help you. Set real deadlines. Stick to them. Setting a deadline's great. You have to stick to them. If you wait until it's perfect, you'll never do it. It'll – you'll never launch.

[00:07:20] You'll never go live on a video. You'll never post. You'll never go to that networking event. You'll never do this. You'll never do that. Get it down on your calendar. Commit to doing it and do it. Another one – adopt the beta mindset. Okay, I've done this with programs that I've launched. Launch a version of whatever it is, even –

[00:07:38] It's a mindset. Even if it's a post or a video, you're in beta mode, it's 80% ready, post it, launch it, and then tweak it. Don't wait. It's never going to be a hundred percent ready. But when we just do it, as a measure of mindset, jump and build your wings on the way down. So, beta, test it when you're 80% or even 70% ready.

[00:08:01] If you feel more comfortable with 80, go 80, okay. 80% ready. Just do it all. Delegate. Even if someone else does it differently, that actually might be better. Here's the thing. Done is better than perfect. We're not talking about heart surgery or a heart surgeon. You're listening to this. Okay. Should have said at the beginning, that's a little bit different.

[00:08:24] We're not sewing up – we're not stitching up body. We're not stitching up a surgical wound. We're talking in business. Done is better than perfect. Also, reframe mistakes as learning as data, as feedback. Not failure. Learn from it. Learn from what you could have done differently. Learn from what the feedback is from people and adjust accordingly.

[00:08:48] Alright. Also ask, what's the minimum viable version? You can always improve it later, but you can't grow something that doesn't exist. If you don't put it out there, you're never going to know my friends. Don't be the world's best kept secret. Get out there. Doesn't have to be perfect. You don't have to be perfect.

[00:09:10] You've heard the quote, you don't have to be great to start, but you should start to be great. It's a process. Work towards that. Work towards being better, work towards being great, not perfect work towards excellence, not perfection. Excellence. Greatness, not perfection. And when you let go of this whole idea of perfection, you gain so much more than time.

[00:09:38] You gain energy, you gain confidence, and you gain freedom. People don't want perfect. Okay? Your prospects, your future clients don't want - unless you're a heart surgeon - they don't want perfect. They want real, they want you. They want real because it connects. Real sells. Real grows. 

[00:10:03] Letting go of perfect lets you show up. As yourself, and that's what your business truly needs, and you will learn along the way, and you'll grow and mature and improve along the way. Even me, with this podcast, I'm probably a little bit better now than I was, what, 43, 44 episodes ago. And in another 43, 44 episodes, I will be even better.

[00:10:32] If I waited till it was perfect, till the lighting, till the stage, till the camera, till everything was perfect, we're probably going to be looking at a couple years from now and it's, of course it's not, still not perfect, so it would never launch. But if you know what, you know what I'm saying? So I just launched, I just jumped, and I'm building my wings on the way down.

[00:10:52] So here's my challenge for you this week and moving forward. But this week, think of one thing you've been sitting on because it's not ready. That's my air quotes. If you're listening to this podcast sitting on, because it's not ready, uh. Alright, I'll repeat that 'cause I kind of laughed halfway through because seriously, we all do it right from time to time.

[00:11:17] Think of one thing that you've been procrastinating or sitting on postponing because you think it's not or you're not ready. It's not perfect. And this week I want you to put it out there. Do it, launch it, send it, reach out, go. Progress beats perfection, my friends, every single time. If you're still with me, if this episode hits home with you, please comment.

[00:11:48] Send me a message, tag me, tell me what you are finally putting out there. That's my accountability action step for you. And also if you're ready to surround yourself with other business owners who take action and don't get stuck in perfection. Why don't you come and check out one of our upcoming Momentum mentorship groups?

[00:12:12] Details are below. You got my email. Just reach out. Check out the page, check us out. Come as a guest, no cost to you. Or if you want to talk about how you can break this cycle of perfectionism for your own business, my friends, let's have a chat. Simply reach out to me. Alright. Thank you for listening to the Stern Truth Podcast, Business Unfiltered.

[00:12:36] We will see you again next week.

[00:12:41] Thank you so much for tuning in to the Stern Truth. If you found today's episode helpful, we would love to hear from you. Please like, share and leave us a review. Also, if you'd like to be a guest in an upcoming episode or join us in one of our Moment Accountability Group sessions, simply email me to marshall@marshallstern.net.

[00:13:00] That's marshall@marshallstern.net. And don't forget to hit the subscribe button, so you never miss an episode. Until next time, keep pushing forward and leading with confidence.