The Key to Success: Do it, Refine, Try again

Here’s the key to success:

Give it your best shot.

Learn.

Refine.

Do it again.

Many people get paralyzed by the idea of perfection and end up not doing much.  The thing is, a great way to find success is to invite failure first.

Kids learn to walk, but spend most of the time landing on their diapered butts.  We learn to ride a bike, or read, or swim — and we start by floundering, but learn from our efforts and get stronger and more effective.  Our day jobs didn’t always come naturally.  We once made a spreadsheet, led a meeting, pitched a client or managed a team for the very first time.  And we were nervous, double-checked our work, and probably made a mistake or two on our way to excellence.  That’s the way of things.

What is it that you feel nervous about?  That you’re putting off doing because you’re unsure?

Give it your best. Learn. Refine. Do it again.

This week, I’ve put the theory to the test. I launched my first ever real product here — Career Mastermind Week.  I’ve put in about 40 hours so far in creating it and sharing it with the world, with more to come.  And I’ve learned quite a bit along the way, things that will make CMW better, and will help me in the future.

With that has come my first ever video blogs, five to be exact.  As I edit and post each video, I get better at it.  Between my own observations and help from a video-inclined friend, the process and the product have both improved.  With luck, you’ll hang in there to see the positive changes that come in the future.

It’s not easy. But it’s a good step to take. So, embrace the imperfect. And see what you can accomplish with good enough.

photo credit: Mirko Macari

Related posts:

1. Is Your Success Undermining Your Dreams?
2. Interview Question of the Week: What has been your greatest success?
3. Failure: The stepping stone to success
4. The secret of success: Make your job search very part-time
5. Networking with confidence: You cannot fail

Tagged as: Career, success