What I Learned While Writing for Perfection

And How to Apply It To Your Writing

Growing up, I was a self-imposed perfectionist. My fear of failure or getting a poor grade led me to overcompensate to a level of perfection. I did homework with extreme caution and attentiveness. It was especially evident when it came to my writing — I wanted every word perfectly placed, from its sound and structure in the sentence, to the lines my script made on the page. Not only was I obsessed with perfecting the look and style of my writing, but I was overly concerned about checking and double checking — rereading my work over and over until I silenced my second guesses.

Now, I’m not advocating that you become a perfectionist and obsess over every detail, but through my own journey, I developed habits that you can adopt. These techniques will be beneficial to you as you write and publish your best content to share your story and build your personal or business brand.

Start With the End in Mind

Before you begin any project, know your end goal. Have a clear understanding of what your purpose is and what you will need when you’re done. What are the objectives? What does your deliverable look like? How long should it be? How will you use the content? What limitations exist?

“To begin with the end in mind means to start with a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know where you are going so that you better understand where you are now so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.” — Stephen R. Covey

Starting with the end is like creating a roadmap — the X that marks the spot on your treasure hunt. If you don’t know where you are going, you will likely waste valuable time and energy and may feel aimlessly stuck with no direction. If you start with the end, you know exactly what you are building up to.

Read Out Loud

Reading your writing out loud has many benefits. Not only does reading out loud help to improve memory through what researchers call the “production effect,” but the tone and voice you are projecting becomes more obvious. When reading, you can pay attention to where you might naturally pause or how you might phase something, which can significantly support editing your grammar and knowing when and where to add punctuation or reword the sentence. If you find yourself rereading something, this is usually a clear indication to fix it before you confuse your audience.

Another great proofreading benefit from reading out loud is that this technique will help you pick up on your repetition of words to make sure your content is not redundant.

Consult a Thesaurus

Once you have identified words that make your writing sound like a broken record, or if you are stuck in trying to effectively communicate, turn to a thesaurus! Dive into options of synonyms or similar words. It can be a great tool to expand your vocabulary and say something in a new and interesting way.

A word of caution — make sure the words you choose are still authentic and true to you. Don’t incorporate big, fancy, or elaborate words if it will go over the heads of your readers or if you are incorporating flowery verbiage for the sake of it. Nothing will ruin your content quicker than your audience not believing it came from you.

Get a Second Opinion

Second opinions are important outside of seeing doctors. Get another set of eyes and another perspective from someone else. This is one of my favorite ways to get constructive feedback on my writing. I have a few trusted sources in my network that I turn to and ask them to read and edit or offer commentary. I want another person to validate that my writing is clear and that the meaning or purpose I am trying to communicate actually comes through.

Turn to friends, classmates, business partners, or family members who you trust will give you candid and honest feedback. Find someone who wants to help you succeed, not just give you a pat on the back or tear you down.

With more important writing or when the stakes are higher — like a RFP or fundraising pitch deck — it’s okay to ask for feedback from a few people. Always remember that you do not have to implement every single opinion and suggestion, but know that constructive criticism is not a personal attack. Be aware and mindful of what can actually help improve your writing.

Take a Break

Sometimes the best thing you can do is to take a step back. According to the American Psychological Association, short breaks can improve productivity and enhance performance levels. Cognitive depletion can adversely affect your ability to focus and it can also negatively impact your mood, so just pushing to work through it may not produce the best results.

Find a type of break that works for you — stretch, get up and go for a walk, chat with a friend, watch a cat video, or listen to a song — take a few minutes to break your attention on your writing project before coming back to it. Your brain may need time to rest so you can boost your concentration back to your peak levels.

We may never be perfect, after all, we are only human and writing is a representation of ourselves. But follow these suggestions to give yourself a leg up as you strive to put your best work out there.

Share your proofreading or writing tips in the comments!