The real reason you're not going to be successful.

Most people do have the time and energy to start a business.

So if it’s not time or energy, then what is the one thing that holds us back?

Perfectionism.

Perfectionism may be the single biggest barrier to every entrepreneur’s success.

I know this because I’ve been a perfectionist myself. But the ironic thing about perfectionism, especially when it comes to building a business, is that it’s never going to be perfect.

Why?

Because there are too many factors beyond your control.

When you focus on trying to make every task and action flawless, you’re actually overthinking everything, holding yourself back. You worry that your results won’t live up to your expectations, and that fear keeps you from taking action.

But results don’t just happen by thinking about them.

Think about the journey of someone like Elon Musk. Musk didn’t achieve success because every step was perfect.

In fact, his ventures were filled with failures, everything from rockets exploding on the launch pad to Tesla’s early struggles with production and quality control. These were far from perfect moments. But he kept moving forward, refining his approach along the way.

When it comes to building your business, there are a ton of things you might be tempted to perfect:

• The “perfect” business model

• The “perfect” product or service

• The “perfect” niche

• The “perfect” marketing strategy

• The “perfect” software for payment processing, website building, email marketing, etc.

But here’s the reality…

There’s no such thing as perfect in business.

If you chase perfection, you’ll spend more time hesitating than actually moving forward.

For example, I chose to help business coaches and consultants get more qualified appointments through effective sales funnels.

Is this offering “perfect”?

Probably not.

But I know there’s a demand for it, a problem to solve, and a market that’s ready. I know my service will generate results, but I also know the exact outcomes may vary slightly from what I anticipate. And that’s okay.

So, if perfectionism holds you back, what moves you forward?

It comes down to two things:

1. A Plan

2. Action

Imagine you decide to drive to a new restaurant you’ve never been to before. You don’t sit around waiting for the perfect weather, the perfect time of day, or the perfect traffic conditions, do you? Instead, you pull up a map, choose the best route you know, and hit the road. If you take a wrong turn, you simply reroute and continue forward until you arrive.

This is how business works too.

I might be targeting business coaches for now, but if I ended up working with a sales coach, and then getting introduced to a whole network of other sales coaches, then my business would pivot to sales coaches instead of business coaches.

But none of this will happen if I don’t embrace discomfort and realise that this journey isn’t going to be perfect.

So instead of waiting for “perfect”…

Make your plan,
start the journey,
and adjust as you go.

Forward movement, even with small missteps, will get you further than standing still, waiting for flawless conditions.

Embrace imperfection, make a plan, and take action. That's the real path to growth in business.

I hope you enjoyed reading this and found it helpful.

Have a great weekend!

Cheers,

Jarrod