The Easy Way to Get More of Your Work Out There — Even If You’re Not Feeling Confident
The other day I was waiting for a yoga session to start and I picked up a book that was sitting on the windowsill (whose title I forget). I flipped it open to a random page, and it read:
“Take action when you’re 80% certain.”
This really resonated with me, because too many writers refuse to take action until they’re 100% sure about it — and so they never do anything, because who’s ever 100% sure about anything? Their ideas languish in file folders, and their half-finished queries sit on their hard drives.
What if you took action when you were only 80% certain?
For example, say you want to call a magazine’s editorial department to double-check an editor’s name, but you’re not quite sure you’ll get a good reception. If you can be just 80% sure that nothing terrible will happen — go for it.
Or you wrote a query letter to your dream magazine, and you can’t seem to stop revising it. Is at least 80% of the way there? Better to send it out at that point than to hold onto it forever.
I understand that 80% is not perfect, but setting that as your goal prevents you from becoming stuck in analysis paralysis — a common problem for writers.
The next idea or query or phone call you have in mind — do it when you’re 80% confident, and then do it again with your next idea (or query, or whatever), and the next. I always say freelancing is a numbers game, so it’s more important that you produce in volume than send out a few perfect things.
Try it and let us know what happens! [lf]
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Jan 14, 2013 Advice, Motivation
This idea really resonates for me right now. Lot’s of ideas, lots of writing, and LOTS of backing off because things aren’t perfect. The only thought I have is this: rather than make 80% your goal, keep your goal at 100% and be okay with sending early. I say this because I think it would be easy to set your goal at 80% only to have that 80% eventually start to look like 100% and then you’re back where you started.
Thanks for your insights…good point!
I love this post. This is exactly what I was struggling with the last few days. It was my husband who final got me to just do it. I think that sending out queries has been the most intimidating part of the process. Thank you for putting a new spin on the way I can look at moving forward in my career.
It’s good to have someone around who can push you! Thans for your comment…I’m glad you liked the post.
This advice really resonates with me. I’m definitely an over-analyzer. Thanks for reminding me that I have to let go of the (mildly)nutty perfectionist thing, if I ever want to get my work out into the world!
Thanks, Melina — glad you liked the post!
I don’t ask “is this perfect?” I ask “will this torpedo my career?” If the answer is no, I run with it and course correct as I go along.
Waiting until everything is “perfect” is procrastination and insecurity masquerading as professionalism. (They’re sneaky little twerps.) Nothing will ever be perfect and if you’re waiting for it to be so, nothing will ever be done.
Excellent post, Linda.
I LOVE that approach, Erica! Thanks for sharing it.
Great suggestions here. I’ve also started applying the less-than-perfect attitude regarding the content of my query letters to magazines, realizing that editors on the receiving end likely will spend mere moments with my letters anyway. I write one letter about one idea, get it fairly close to perfection, then tweak a word or phrase or two for the next editor to receive that query, and so on.
So true! Editors get so many pitches they probably skim them until something looks interesting.
I wrote about this idea of needing something to be perfect as well. It was in a post titled, How to Eject Your Enemies. It was all about the internal things that hold us back.
Post the URL here so readers can check it out!
O.K. Thank you.
How to Eject Your Ememies
http://peterdmallett.wordpress.com/2012/12/28/how-to-eject-your-enemies/
or http://tinyurl.com/an8frgg
I think 50% is my magical number, It’s even odds, and the old saying “What is the worse that can happen?” psyches me up. I used to be in medical equipment sales to physicians, and did a lot of cold calling. At the beginning I would sit in my car outside the office and imagine all the rejection I would get. Finally I would slam the car door, grab my brochure and go in to make my call. Never ever did the results match my fears. I ended up being very successful (six figures) in this career. Keep in mind your query might meet a timely need and open the door to a long time relationship. Take a chance, Linda W.
Thanks for your insights!
Great advice! Going for 80% instead of 100%… at least this motivates us to go for our goals more frequently. Thanks for this post!
Let us know how it works for you!
Thanks, this post is just what I needed today! Eighty percent sure….I can do THAT! (You are right, I was waiting for 100%, and that so-o-o was not working!
)
Glad it helped, Leslie!