I recently watched a video my best friend Jessica created about embracing imperfection and bringing your ideas and dreams to life sooner, and it really resonated with me. If you’re anything like me, then you might be the kind of person that constantly daydreams about ideas you have for things you want to create, whether they’re works of art, business ideas, home decor ideas, you name it. Shortly after I finished college, I got engaged, and it sparked a business idea where I’d be creating really unique wedding stationery for women like me who love designs that are offbeat and vibrant. For about two years, I kept researching and brainstorming ideas for my business, and kept telling myself that I wasn’t ready to start my business yet because I hadn’t perfected all of my ideas or sorted out all the details. I was finding that all this waiting I did to launch my business was hindering some of my motivation and creativity, so I finally took the leap. From all that waiting and planning, I came to a big realization: waiting to bring your ideas to life is complete BS.
When it comes to starting a business, I know there’s a lot of research and planning involved, and that can take a lot of time, especially if you’re already working at another job. However, the idea that we have to perfect everything before we bring our ideas into the world is a huge lie. For creatives, this can be a really difficult concept to grasp because we often have such a clear vision in our minds about what we want to create. The thing is, a lot of times if we ever want to actually get our idea out there, we just need to take the leap and say it’s GOOD ENOUGH. Who says you can’t revisit something and make it even better later? I’ve put together a list of some of the most common excuses for delaying ideas, and my top ideas for getting past the rut and getting sh** done:
I don’t have enough time
This is one that I really struggle with. On top of running a business, I’m working as a web designer, trying to make plenty of time for my hubbie and dog, getting things done around the house, exercising, getting outside, and taking time for fun and self care. You may have a busy schedule too, and find it’s really hard to squeeze in extra time for projects. The thing is, you don’t have to beat yourself up for not having lots of extra time. All you need to do is find a little extra time each day or each week to work on something if even just a little bit. Can you wake up a half hour earlier to work on your project? Maybe you can squeeze in a little time on the weekends when you’re not working. Regardless of when it is, the goal is to set aside a little time and just DO IT. Working on it a little is much better than not at all. I find that having a weekly planner with my to-do’s helps keep me on track for making time for my projects and ideas.
I don’t know enough about X
A big misconception a lot of people have about themselves is that they can’t do something if they aren’t a professional at it. The thing is, the internet nowadays is packed with ENDLESS information about everything you could possibly think of, a lot of which is free information, so if you don’t know exactly how to do something, go online and learn about it! YouTube is a great source of information for learning just about anything, and same with Skillshare (you can sign up for a free 2 month trial), but websites like Udemy and Linkedin Learning are great for learning more professional skills like business management and graphic design. There’s nothing wrong with starting your project now and learning as you go, and what better way to put your new knowledge to work?
My idea isn’t perfect yet
It’s easy to get hung up on all the little details of a project, but when it comes down to what’s important, it’s really about the bigger picture. If you’re working on a business idea or project and feel like it still needs work but it’s already pretty well developed, why not share your work anyways and just get it out there? At the very least, you can share your work with close friends and family and get feedback from them so you can continue to improve your idea. There’s nothing wrong with going back and improving something more, but trust me, sharing your work with the world is going to feel good, and it’s going to motivate you to continue working on it even more.
I’m overwhelmed
If you’ve ever had an idea that required a lot of time, planning, and work, then I’m sure you’ve felt that feeling of overwhelm about all the things you need to get done in order to bring your idea to life. I’ve had plenty of instances where I’ve felt so overwhelmed by a project that I didn’t even want to start it. When you’re feeling overwhelmed by the entirety of a project, the best thing you can do for yourself is to start by breaking your project down into manageable steps. By breaking your project down into small steps, you can reduce your stress about it by taking just one small step at a time. Plus, each time you accomplish one of those steps, you can cross it off your to-do list and feel a bigger sense of accomplishment as you move closer to your end goal.
I’m not motivated enough
Trust me, this has been a life-long struggle of mine. I’m a girl with big dreams, but an even bigger desire to go have fun instead of working on my stuff. Getting over a lack of motivation is definitely not an overnight transformation. It’s something you have to work at every day until it becomes a part of your routine. Becoming more motivated is all about starting in small steps. If you typically spend your downtime just having fun or relaxing, start by working a short amount of work time into each day, even just 20 minutes. Once you feel pretty comfortable making that time for work time, you can start increasing it in small increments. You may not want to do too much too soon because you might just end up feeling overwhelmed and giving up, so instead try my approach of working in small steps and forming long-term habits that become part of your daily routine.
I hope these tips will help you bring more of your great ideas to life sooner, and if you’re looking for more inspiration, you should check out my bestie Jessica’s video below about bringing your dreams to life and getting past perfectionism. She’s a very wise, down to earth, and relatable lady, and has a YouTube channel with tons of great advice and inspiration. If you’re working on any projects right now, drop a comment below and tell us about them!