The one reason your side project will fail
Of all the challenges you face when working on a side hustle, this one thing will guarantee your project will never see the light of day.
Like a rusted, broken down car, your idea will spend the remainder of its days in the garage that is your subconscious. Not loved. Not missed. But often making a cameo appearance on your list of “what ifs”.
As I’ve said before, starting has been a challenge for me. Having taken the first crucial steps, I stumbled, almost giving up.
Last week was no different. I worked on my 4th post and edited it mercilessly. However, it didn’t seem right. The headline and the content weren’t working. So, I was scared to ship. Resistance took over. I procrastinated.
The fiasco brought to light something I already knew. Something I learned reading the works of Steven Pressfield, Ramit Sethi, Tim Ferriss and Gary Vaynerchuk, to name a few.
However, the underpants I’ve collected didn’t amount to much until I actually confronted the demon, Perfection.
Waiting for everything to be perfect will only result in failure to launch.
By Friday, I had had enough. It was either ship, or delete. No more dragging my feet on this one.
I pressed “Ctrl+A”, and hit delete. Sayonara!
Despite obliterating a few hours worth of work, I felt free. I could create, again, from scratch.
Had I not deleted the article, I’d have been stuck in the abyss of self-doubt and procrastination. And the vain quest for perfection.
Now, everything is good again. The sky is blue. The sun is shining. The birds are singing. (pardon my lame attempt to sound poetic)
I’m writing again, with enthusiasm. The words flow. The post begins to take shape as if a master sculptor was uncovering a perfect statue hidden inside the marble.
Want to know another secret?
This post was written, edited and published in just over an hour.
As an experiment, I’m testing myself by publishing this post, as fast as possible.
No time wasted wondering,
“Is it perfect?”
“Is the headline right?”
“What if I<insert suitable procrastination technique>?”
Write. Edit. Publish.
Have you been postponing a project under the guise of making it perfect, or waiting for a series of external factors to align?
If yes, STOP!
There is no perfect outcome. The timing will never be just right.
Create a minimum viable version of your project and launch. You can always alter course along the way.
If it is a video you wish to create, shoot the first cut.
A blog? Just start writing, and hit publish.
Trying to start a business? Find your first customer and offer your services. Even if you have to do it for free.
Say ‘NO’ to excuses and ship.
What has kept you from making progress in your side project? Drop a line in the comments section, and let’s work on making it happen!
