Practice Avoids Perfect

I love this from Tim Stoddart:

“Hate to break it to you, but the people who read my morning blog read my worst work.

Which is actually the point.

This is my warm up. This is my set of jumping jacks before I do burpees. This is my slow jog around the track before I do sprints.

Creative work is like anything else. Your body and your mind need a few reps to warm up and get lose.

This is why I wrote every morning. I need a warm up round before I step into the ring.“

Yep. Same. It’s all about what you’re practicing.

I try for something different in journaling, for example.

If you reflect in private everyday, you’re practicing something else.

Here, Tim is practicing creating in public, not his grammar, editing, or punctuation. In journaling, I practice asking the right questions, setting expectations properly, and expressing gratitude (the secret weapon behind all productive reflection).

In business, you practice what builds relationships with the reader/customer.

The trouble creators run into is when the try to combine those goals in a single practice. That leads to confusion and burn out.

Keep the personal personal. Keep a laser focus on your audience’s needs in business. Keep practicing.