Do you think a perfect idea exist in this world? Give it some thought, before you continue to read. If your answer is no, congratulation! There is no such a thing called a perfect idea, and I can prove it.
As long someone is able to improve an idea, then it is not perfect. Up to this point, I have never seen a certain idea or product be used forever and not being replaced by something newer. Probably a perfect idea only exists as an old joke in the patent office, “Everything that can be invented has been invented.”
With that in mind, is it not a big waste of time to pursue the perfect idea? Instead, you should strive for a good idea and improve that idea over time.
Being creative means plunging in the realm of untested ideas, and any wise person will never expect an excellent result on the first try. If you seek perfection, chances are you are not going to get your idea out there.
The Fear of Making Mistake
As the modern world is quite merciless to mistakes, many people are very afraid of being wrong. The problem is, if you are not prepared to be wrong sometimes, you are not prepared for anything original.
The trick in being creative is having the mindset to keep mistakes to a minimum, not completely eliminating them. The only way to possibly avoid making mistakes is to avoid everything new, which in its own way is a mistake on the long term, as no personal growth will be developed.
Take a look at the evolution of technology. The first computer is as big as a house. We should be really glad that the engineers kept improving that idea and brought it out to the world, until it can fit inside our back pocket. If they had decided to keep it for themselves until it was “perfect”, who knows how long it would have taken for humanity to enjoy the first computer since its invention.
A Good Reason to Ease the Fear of Making Mistake
Neither you nor I am perfect. I am not an English native speaker and therefore, I expect grammar mistakes on my articles. And yet here I am, writing my own blog and books in English. Let me tell you where the courage comes from.
If I have decided to hide my idea to help people becoming more creative, because my English is not perfect, would it have helped anybody? Should I perfect my English skill for another 10 years first, before I can help other people? As a matter of fact, will my English becomes better, if I don’t use it?
On the other hand, what I know may be able to change people’s lives for the better. If I have waited for 10 years, some people might have suffered during those years. So, should we wait until we are “perfect” before implementing our ideas?
Conclusion
I believe we all know the answer. Done is better than perfect. First, you get your ideas out there with a certain degree of acceptable result. Then, you improve your ideas and skills until they become exceptional.
You will make mistakes in the process, but you will learn and grow. Those experiences will be beneficial for you and others around you. People also want to learn from somebody else’s mistakes.
According to the Pareto principle, you can get 80% of results by focusing on 20% of the work. So, focus on the most important thing of your ideas first, and get it out there!
If you like what you read, check out my book “Think Outside the Box for Real” for more in-depth training about creativity.