The Trap of Perfectionism
What my imperfect newsletter journey taught me.
It’s that time of the year when I begin a new venture without finishing the old ones.
*cough*
Welcome to the first letter of Not Alone!🎉
Honestly, my first-ever attempt to write an email newsletter started almost a year ago. Well, you may have guessed it already. It didn’t last long at all. Looking back, I realize I was stuck in the trap of perfectionism.
💔 An imperfect newsletter journey
Remember the last time you had a long break? You probably had tons of ideas on how to spend it. Perhaps you wanted to learn to code. Maybe you wished to work on that side hustle you’d been putting off. Heck, maybe a YouTuber inspired you to start a YouTube channel.
Whatever it was, I’m sure you went hardcore the first few days. Whether it was finding out the best learning platforms or acquiring gear to get you started, you probably spent days and nights preparing for the most productive holiday ever.
And you heard, *poof*
It was the end of the break. You had done nothing besides sleeping at sunrise, waking up at sunset and spending your waking hours in the YouTube rabbit hole learning that coconut is not a nut.
Yes, my first newsletter trial happened similarly. I spent weeks choosing the perfect newsletter provider, the perfect niche, the perfect tagline, and prepping everything I could possibly need — perfectly.
It sounds like a no-brainer. Yes, you need to be well prepared now for desirable results later. But, I found myself slowly losing sight of what truly mattered on this ride. I was on a journey of burnout, self-doubts, and disappointment for not living up to my own expectation.
Most importantly, I was steered away from what I loved doing — writing itself. That was why, after only a month, I gave up.
💡 But, I learned something
Just because everything could be better, it doesn’t mean everything should be better now.
If you're just starting out, it is easy to fall into the trap of doing everything perfectly. But, whether you're being a creator or building a habit, know that it is a marathon, not a sprint.
Besides,
You may think something needs 10 things to be perfect. But, others may see it needing 11, 20, 100 or more.
So, it doesn't matter if it's imperfect. Get things going and improve as you go. After all, moving forward — albeit slowly — is always better than getting stuck at the starting line.