Done, is better than perfect.

If I could make money off every time we’ve had a job put on hold because we didn’t have the content, I’d be rich.

Soooo many times a project has gone on hold because the client wants to write their own website copy (biggest hold-up of all time), or take their own photos, or the brochure is sitting there 98% complete, but not actually going anywhere because of a few small words.

And I get it.

If you are a perfectionist (or selective perfectionist), handing over your words, thoughts or ideas can feel like a big deal.

You know your business. You know what you want to say. And you want to get it right.

But sometimes, trying to get it perfect is exactly what stops you from getting it done.

And this doesn’t just apply to website copy.

It happens with reviewing designs, approving files, making changes, choosing images, getting testimonials, sending that proposal, replying to that email… basically anything where you want the end result to be just right.

Just get it done.

I recently did one of those archetype personality quizzes and, apparently, I’m a Creator (I know what it should look like), a Ruler (and I want it done properly) and the Demiurge (why the f*** has no one done it properly yet?).

I mean… fair, that summed me up in a nutshell.

A common theme with all the personality quizzes I’ve done is that my strengths are around decisive action and getting things done, but there’s also a healthy dose of caution AND wanting things done properly.

Which is probably why I can spot this particular problem so easily.

Sometimes you just need to get something to the best standard you can, at THAT point in time.

Need help getting something over the line? Get it done.

And if you decide later that something needs to change, evolve or improve, cool. You can change it when you’re ready.

Done gives you something to work with.

Tips for just getting it done

Break it down into bite-sized chunks.

Don’t sit down thinking, right, today I am going to write my entire website.

• Start with one page. Or one section. Or even one paragraph.
• Do a little bit, every day, or
• Pencil in at start of the week (before the excuses have time time appear)
• Get something down, set up a Google Doc or draft email and add to it – use AI if it helps get you on the right track.
• The same applies to reviewing a design. You don’t have to solve every tiny detail in one sitting. Look at the big picture first. Is the overall direction right? Is the message working? Is the layout doing what it needs to?

Then work through the details.

Because once you have something to work with, you can edit it. Move it around. Add to it. Take bits out. Get someone else to look at it.

You can improve done.

You can’t improve a blank page.

Don’t let one small thing hold up the whole project.

The brochure that is 98% finished but sitting on someone’s computer for three months because they haven’t decided between two sentences?

Just pick one.

The website that is ready to build except for one paragraph on the About page?

Write something. It can be changed later.

The design file that needs a couple of small tweaks before it can move forward?

Make the call.

Progress is usually more valuable than sitting in limbo waiting for perfect.

And the same goes for things like reviews and testimonials. Yes, asking people for them can feel painful. Yes, writing them can feel like a chore.

But getting a few genuine words from a happy client is better than waiting six months for the perfect testimonial.

And yes, I do it too.

I’m not going to pretend I’m some productivity guru who has mastered this.

There are definitely things I procrastinate on:

• Invoices – Argh. Every month I have to psych myself up for two business accounts (this is why I pay a bookkeeper).
• Proposals/quotes – if it’s small, sometimes I could probably just do the job faster than writing the damn quote.
• Kissing the frog – getting that mentally hard job done first? Nope. Sometimes I need to knock off a few easy jobs to ease myself into full creative mode.
• End-of-year accounts – the actual prep takes about 30 minutes, so why do I leave it for 2-3 months?

Probably because I’m picking other things higher up the priority list.

And that’s OK too.

Not everything has to be done immediately. The trick is knowing the difference between something that genuinely needs to wait and something you’re putting off because you want it to be perfect.

Sometimes you need to walk away from it.

Here’s the funny thing about creativity: sometimes your best ideas arrive when you’re not actually working on the thing.

You’re driving. In the shower. Walking. Making dinner. Doing literally anything other than staring at the screen trying to force the answer.

And suddenly…

Oh.

I know what I need to do.

That happened to me with my own logo.

I muddled over it for about three years.

Three. Years.

And then one day, it just clicked.

I found a font that I didn’t hate, finally got those two ‘i’s looking OK, looked at all the other variations I’d created and thought, you know what?

I don’t hate it.

And that was enough.

I kept it simple. No silly icon this time that only designers understand. Just a straightforward wordmark that I actually liked.

For feedback, I only asked two humans and then used AI for some light feedback (and, may I add, some of the suggestions AI came back with were absolutely not right).

Because sometimes the designer knows best. 😉

But AI was still useful for getting another perspective and testing the idea.

And that’s really the point.

I could have spent another three years trying to make it perfect.

Instead, I decided it was good enough, I liked it, it worked, and it was time to move on.

Done. Then improve it if you need to.

This doesn’t mean I’m suggesting you put out substandard work or settle for something that isn’t good enough.

There’s a difference between good enough to move forward and rushing something out the door.

Good design still needs thought. Good copy still needs editing. Your website still needs to work. Your brochure still needs to look polished.

But sometimes the thing standing between you and the finished project isn’t quality.

It’s simply not making the decision.

So if something has been sitting on your to-do list, in your inbox or on your desktop because you’re waiting for the perfect words, the perfect photo, the perfect design or the perfect time…

Just get it done.

You can always tweak it later.

And if you need a hand getting it over the line, that’s what we’re here for.

We can help you make the decision. But don’t make me chase you for it… that’s a blog for another time.

NOTE: And yes, I wrote this blog while I was inspired / procrastinating about ‘kissing the frog’ on Monday morning.

Did I have other things I should have been doing? Absolutely.

Did I suddenly have a moment of clarity and think, ooh, I should write that down? Yep.

So I’m calling it ‘productive procrastination’. 😂