How would you finish this statement?
Anything worth doing is worth doing _______.
Google it, and you’ve got options.
Anything worth doing is worth doing well. What do you think?
Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly. Seriously, who says that?
On any given day, you’ve got options that affect your contribution.
WHAT IF?
Roy H. Williams tells the story of his first book.
I gathered some essays and photos in 1997, then paid a printer to print 7,500 copies of a little homemade book. The title was ill-conceived, the cover was ridiculous, and my layout failed to anticipate the binding, so the text was tucked too far into the spine. You had to pull the cheeks apart and look down into the crack to read it.
It sounds like Roy missed his calling and potential. No one taught him the “truth” — that anything worth doing is worth doing well. Then again, perhaps the truth is that anything worth doing is worth doing poorly.
The Wall Street Journal recognized his second book as the #1 business book in America.
The New York Times listed his third book on their bestseller list.
What if he believed his first book had to be a bestseller or it wasn’t worth doing? How would he get better? What if fear of failure or “I’m not good enough” kept him from starting his journey as an author?
Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly, compared to growing into your potential.
WRITING YOUR STORY
Authors who are unwilling to write their first book poorly will never write a New York Times bestseller.
While you may never write a book, you are writing your Story.
Remember, the five realities of the Story:
- Everybody has a Story
- Everyday you add to your Story
- Today, you will influence someone’s Story
- There’s always more to the Story
- You are responsible for writing your Story
If you write the Story, you want to tell, you must embrace the truth that anything worth doing is worth doing poorly. Then, you can get better.
To write the story, you want to tell, grab your journal and a cookie. Not just any cookie, only an O. R. E. O. can bring structure to your time of reflection.
Observe your story — Stop being “so busy” and pay attention. What happened?
Reflect on the truth in the story — What are you accepting as true?
Edit the story — How can you show up better next time?
Own it — You are responsible to write your story, pick up your pen.
CREATE SPACE TO THINK
“I have never worn the handcuffs of Perfectionism or Conformity, and I do not recommend them to you.” Roy Williams writes. “Wearing them too tightly causes analysis paralysis: that paralyzing fear of failure.”
To make the Next Level Journey from Here to There, you must leave Stuckville or your Comfort Zone. It will help if you overcome the resistance, the fear of failure, the inclination to control, and the “lie” that says anything worth doing is worth doing well or you may as well not start.
Accept the truth that anything worth doing is worth doing poorly and watch what happens.
Allow me to ask the big question, are you writing the story you want to tell?
Where are you handcuffed by perfectionism or conformity?
What keeps you from embracing the mindset that what you can do is good enough for today.
What must you change to stay on the continuous improvement path?
It’s your story, write the Story you want to tell,
Steve
HT to Roy H Williams