Face It… You’ll Never Do It Perfect…Unless You Are Woody Woodpecker
| Posted in Network Marketing, Success | Posted on 13-04-2010
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Woody has been living in our backyard for a couple of years now. Every spring he would show up and peck on our trees and on occasion also on our house. Which especially made my husband mad. Not just because of the horrible noise, (woodpeckers sound like little sledgehammers), but also because of the damage. Our neighbors actually had to redo the top of their chimney because of Woody’s pecking.
Actually, I found him pretty annoying too, until, earlier this year when I stumbled upon his “perfect work of art” in our backyard. Looks like Woody has decided to move in permanently with us and built his home in one of our old tree stumps.
I stood in total amazement when I saw the perfect circle. I even went as far as to measure it. It is exactly 1 inch and 5/8 across horizontally and vertically. How can that be? How can such an annoying little guy create such a perfect circle?
We’ll probably never know unless we ask him. And I for one am no Dr. Doolittle.
As network marketers we often want things to be perfect. We want to build the perfect business website or sales letter targeting the perfect audience. Write the perfect email or autoresponder series to connect and stay in touch with our prospects or customers. Create the perfect blog post on our network marketing blog accompanied by the perfect picture with the perfect keywords so we will be found in search engines. Even down to our profiles on social media sites such as Twitter or Facebook, everything has to be perfect.
Let’s face it…It will never be perfect.
Even practice doesn’t make perfect. But it does make better.
Much more important than perfection is completion.
If we constantly fine tune or redo whatever we are creating and never finish it, nobody will see it.
Remember the NIKE commercial … Just Do It!!
Your success in network marketing does not depend on perfection, but on completing the tasks along the way to reach your ultimate goal.
Finish your sales letter, your website, your social media profile, your email series, your blog post or whatever it is and send it out there so people can see it. It may not be perfect, but it is completed and it’s out there doing what it is supposed to do …grow your business.
To Your Success,
Ilka Flood
P.S. This post is not perfect. But if you liked it, please share it anyway. Thank you!
Carla J Gardiner
Ryan Biddulph
Stacy
Ilka,
The art of perfection ofter leads to failure.
You are so worried about one thing and lose focus on everything else and before you know it your blog is two months behind, three distributors have dropped out, half your list opted out.
It’s is all accomplishing those small goals to get to the next.
Great information Ilka.
Posting LIVE on the George Washington Bridge,
Tommy D.
“The Prospecting Hero”
[Reply]
Ilka Flood Reply:
April 13th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Hi Tommy,
Yep, you are exactly right! I was just talking to my hubby (after he read my post) and he said, …”Cheez, I need to take your advice. I’m definitely behind and only have about 70% of the things accomplished that I need to.”
We sometimes get so wrapped up in the detail that we forget the big picture.
Have a great evening, Tommy!
Ilka
[Reply]
Hi Ilka,
I love the woodpecker story! I’ve never lived by a woodpecker so it sounds cute to me, but I can imagine if they were pecking on my house I might change my mind! lol
They make a perfect circle, how amazing. Creation fascinates me.
No, we’ll never be perfect and we do need to just do it, get the projects done and out there. But there’s certainly nothing wrong with aiming for perfection.
Great post!
Susanna
Susanna Hess´s last blog ..Network Marketing Leader “I’m Gonna Be Sick!”
[Reply]
Ilka Flood Reply:
April 13th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Hi Susanna,
I agree with “aiming for perfection.” There’s nothing wrong with that. But at the same time not get wrapped up in the whole thing.
Haha, I can’t believe I’m saying that. I AM a perfectionist … But, I have learned to “let it go.” It’s still very hard at times.
So, in a way, I actually wrote that post for myself and to remind me, that it doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s still okay! LOL
Have a wonderful day!
Ilka
[Reply]
Hey Ilka,
I’ll tell you what. I personally don’t like to wait for the perfect time. I like to dive in and get my experience. Of course, I do listen to those that walked before me.
For Instance, I still have a lot of work to do on my blog. But I haven’t let it stop me from doing what I need to do to drive traffic and generate a profit from it.
Chat with you later…
Josh
BTW…that is amazing how Woody created a perfect circle. Maybe Woody was practicing on your home before it started working on it’s on home. Smart bird!
Josh Garcia´s last blog ..Business Owners: Why Do 80% Business Blogs Fail? Hint…Writing Tips!
[Reply]
Ilka Flood Reply:
April 14th, 2010 at 10:19 am
Hi Josh,
I have learned that there is never a perfect time to do things. When you have kids, that’s kind of a given.
Maybe you’re right, maybe Woody really practiced on our house first. That little rascal!
Have an awesome day!
Ilka
[Reply]
This is very timely, I needed to hear this. That’s all I’m going to say publicly.
Evidently I need one of Josh’s “Your blog sucks” T-shirts in someone’s opinion. LOL
I love your stories!
Twila
Twila Jacobs´s last blog ..Do You Really Know What Attraction Marketing Is?
[Reply]
Ilka Flood Reply:
April 14th, 2010 at 10:21 am
Hi Twila,
Sounds like you’re facing some challenges lately. Hope today is a better day.
Wishing you only the very best, my friend!
Ilka
[Reply]
Twila Jacobs Reply:
April 14th, 2010 at 11:24 am
You could say that, but no biggie. I tend to walk to the beat of my own drum LOL
Twila Jacobs´s last blog ..Do You Really Know What Attraction Marketing Is?
[Reply]
Thank you Ilka for your post. I admit I am one of those people who constantly tweak for perfection at the risk of never obtaining it. These blogs are so helpful in that they let us know we’re not the only one’s out there going through certain things. I’ll keep this in mind with the understanding that holding on to anything too long doesn’t benefit anyone.
[Reply]
Ilka Flood Reply:
April 14th, 2010 at 11:35 am
Hi Josh,
Ha, I truly can relate. When I went through Graphic Design school I drove my professor (and my husband) nuts, because I constantly tweaked my projects. There were even times when I redesigned the whole thing at the last minute before the deadline to turn it in. Tell you the truth, even after I turned it in I wasn’t happy with the way it turned out.
Unfortunately, our youngest son is the same way. His drawings and designs are absolutely remarkable, but he always finds something to tweak. Arrgghhh!
Let’s face it … there’s no such thing as perfection! Period.
And besides, COMPLETION is what counts!
You’re right, holding on to anything too long doesn’t benefit anyone.
Make it a great day!
Ilka
[Reply]
Hey Ilka,
“Much more important than perfection is completion.
If we constantly fine tune or redo whatever we are creating and never finish it, nobody will see it.”
Sooo true! It’s important to stay no task and get it done, get it out there, etc. I have to push myself to make sure I don’t get caught up in the analysis paralysis.
Talk to you soon,
Ken
Ken West´s last blog ..Breaking News – Network Marketer Tries to Hatch a New Distributor
[Reply]
Ilka Flood Reply:
April 14th, 2010 at 10:25 am
Hi Ken,
I have the same problem sometimes … the analysis paralysis. You can really get lost in that one, lol.
Just DO it!!
By the way, catchy blog title. I’ve got to check that out.
Enjoy your day!
Ilka
[Reply]
Hey Ilka
Is you ReTweet button working? It keeps saying it is pointing to a wrong URL???
As perfection does not exist I gave up trying to be perfect. My aim is to be remarkable. Do remarkable things and leave a remarkable impression which lasts for many generations.
I think this is a lot more measurable and obtainable.
The only way I will be come remarkable is by DOING remarkable things.
Dwayne
Dwayne Huggins´s last blog ..What Happens When Your Success Gets Attacked
[Reply]
Ilka Flood Reply:
April 14th, 2010 at 10:32 am
Hi Dwayne,
Don’t know what’s wrong with my ReTweet button. That happened once before but never with two posts in a row. Have no idea how to fix that. Maybe I’ll delete it and reinstall it.
I LOVE the idea of aiming to be remarkable!
Well said, my friend!
Have an awesome day!
Ilka
[Reply]
Ilka Flood Reply:
April 14th, 2010 at 11:20 am
I researched the ReTweet problem. It’s not a canonical URL problem with my SEO plugin as Tweetmeme suggests as I checked that out. So I am clueless as of right now.
If the problem persists, I will just install a different ReTweet plugin.
By the way, “Share This” worked perfectly as far as retweeting my post.
Thank you for alerting me to this issue, Dwayne! I truly appreciate it.
[Reply]
Hey Ilka,
This is so true, this is the biggest symptom of procrastination.
I know that there have been times when I have been trying to perfect something before putting it out there.
Nowadays I just want to get it out quickly, then improve it over time.
Thanks for this post.
Wayne Vassell, signing out…
Wayne Vassell´s last blog ..How To Use RSS Feeds On Your Website To Generate Some Lazy Traffic!
[Reply]
Ilka Flood Reply:
April 14th, 2010 at 1:43 pm
Hi Wayne,
Now, there’s a thought that hadn’t entered my mind … getting it out there and then improving it over time.
Very smart thinking!!
Thanks for stopping by and have an awesome evening!
Ilka
[Reply]
Ilka I used to always think perfectionism was a plus and I stupidly used to feel very proud that I was like this, until I realized it was a curse. It is learned behavior however and I’m pleased to say that while it has taken me a few years I have made great progress although I have to keep it in check all the time. It was one of the things that made me give up school teaching. I nearly drove myself and my students nuts!
Cheers
Marcus
~Marcus Baker~
Attraction Marketing Specialist
Marcus Baker´s last blog ..3 Steps You Must Take To Ensure Having A Succesful Internet Marketing Business
[Reply]
Ilka Flood Reply:
April 15th, 2010 at 9:11 am
Hi Marcus,
I agree, it really can drive you nuts…and yes, it really is a curse. I’m glad you’ve got it in check now.
Dwayne suggested to aim to be remarkable instead. I think that’s much easier to do. And more rewarding as well.
Make it a great day!
Ilka
[Reply]
Hi Ilka, I loved your “Woody” story; it was precious. Lots of super great tips on your blog; I look forward to reading more.
Love your blog:
Warmly,
Connie Clark
Connie’s latest blog article is Your Sleep May Be Harming You
Connie Clark´s last blog ..Your Sleep May be Harming You
[Reply]
Ilka Flood Reply:
April 15th, 2010 at 6:23 pm
Hi Connie,
What a nice surprise to see you here! Hope all is well with you and the family.
Thanks for your kind words!
Have an awesome evening!
Ilka
[Reply]
Hi Ilka,
On a side note, I’ve seen a woodpecker in action and saw they make. Talk about perfect. !WOW!
We can’t always be like Wood Woodpecker and be perfect. There will be times when things will not go right.
And, that’s actually a good thing. It allows us to learn and grow.
This when we start getting the results.
Chat with you soon,
Jerome Ratliff
Jerome Ratliff´s last blog ..What is Business Building Activities
[Reply]
Ilka Flood Reply:
April 15th, 2010 at 6:21 pm
Hi Jerome,
Wow! You’ve actually seen a woodpecker in action? Lucky you!! I have only heard them in action, lol.
You’re right, not being perfect allows us to grow.
How does it go? … If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
Have a great evening!
Ilka
[Reply]
Jerome Ratliff Reply:
April 15th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
That’s right… “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”
Well said.
Have a good evening,
Jerome Ratliff
Jerome Ratliff´s last blog ..What is Business Building Activities
[Reply]
Hi Ilka,
Great post! Sometimes It’s difficult to try to accomplish all that our minds intend to accomplish in a single day.
It’s my first time here…I love your content. Have a great day.
Anne
P.S. It’s like the whole “Better Bunch” is here.:) Nice Job.
Anne´s last blog ..How To Alienate Your Friends And Potential MLM Prospects
[Reply]
Hi Anne,
Welcome to my neck of the woods! Great to see you here.
You’re right, the whole “Better Bunch” is here. We are hanging out with and are learning from each other. Glad you joined us.
Have a great weekend!
Ilka
[Reply]
Hi Ilka,
What a great article about my favorite cartoon character, Woody Woodpecker. Now, in real life those little suckers are so destructive, but when I watch them work there is a great lesson…they are one persistent bird!
I, like you, am a perfectionist. I took a couple of free blogging classes, got my blog all set up, nice, pretty and with all of the right plug-ins, widgets, a professional header installed, the gamut. Then, the ultimate “freeze” came.
I got all hung up on keywords, what to write, how to use key phrases…well, you get my point. I did absolutely nothing but sit there, cry and think I was a failure. But, I took the next step, contacted my mentor, got back on the proverbial horse, and took another class, asked a ton of questions…and froze.
After a lot of reflection, I heard my mentor say, are you going to be like some and become a professional student, or are you going to take action to get results…Carla…just write, you can do it. Forget all the other stuff, just write your first article, it will come. Putting the cursor on the paper just about did me in, but I DID IT!
Now, I’ve finished my second and working on my third article, it’s not that bad. Oh, they are perfect, and I am NOT going back to tweak them, I will forge forward and like Mr. Woody, I will repeat, repeat and repeat until my “hole” is whole.
Thanks for the excellent read, Ilka. You are my inspiration and a true friend.
Carla
Carla J Gardiner´s last blog ..This Drink Is On Me
[Reply]
Forgive the typo in the previous post, I meant to write (5th pp, 2nd sentence) they are not perfect:) See the perfectionist did come out in me, shame, shame.
Carla
Carla J Gardiner´s last blog ..This Drink Is On Me
[Reply]
Ilka Flood Reply:
May 14th, 2010 at 11:08 am
Hi Carla,
You are such a sweetheart! That comment you just left me above would make a GREAT blog post. Use it!!
Your mentor is right, just put that cursor on the page and start typing. There are so many people out there just like you (and me) that need to hear from us, because they are in the same boat.
You have so much ‘giving’ in you. Go out and GIVE it!
Hugs,
Ilka
P.S. If you haven’t already subscribed to Jason Better’s blog I highly recommend you do. He puts out great information … bite-sized … every day. I learn a ton from there. Go to his blog and do a search for “keywords”. He just wrote a couple of great blog posts about using keywords in your posts.
[Reply]