I like to think of myself as a smooth operator. Cool under pressure. Scheduling work way in advance to avoid last minute stress. And definitely not working on weekends.
But sometimes that’s a big, fat lie.
Yesterday was supposed to be the epic launch of my new program, Get Your First 1000 Subscribers – Deluxe Edition. It’s the best thing I’ve created to-date, and I was on the edge of my cute Ikea computer chair, ready to share it with you.
I was running a few final checks on the payment and registration process when I realized it wasn’t gonna work.
It was a nightmare waiting to happen. I could see everyone pulling out their hair (that’s not a pretty sight!), not getting the “instant access” I promised.
I fought with it for hours.
I screamed, cried, and stomped around the house like a two-year-old having a “but I want a cookie!” tantrum.
(In case you didn’t know, letting emotions flow, no matter what age it causes you to emulate, helps get rid of them faster than trying to stay adult-like and composed.)
I went for a run.
I cleared my system.
I reached out to trusted friends.
I collected my thoughts and saw my next move: I had to stop. I couldn’t launch it. It wasn’t going to happen on schedule.
I was flooded with thoughts of failure. I was ashamed that it wasn’t getting out on my timeline.
“Good Enough” Isn’t Always Good Enough
If you’ve been hanging out with me for awhile, you know I’m a fan of taking action and moving forward when something is “good enough.” I encourage you to shoot for 80%.
I, too, live by that rule.
Except when I don’t.
This disaster-waiting-to-happen launch was one of those times when everything looked great, except one tiny little detail that could blow the whole thing.
I had to hit the STOP button.
I needed a new plan.
Now what?
One of the best parts of being an online business owner is having instant-access to a huge network of smart people with just the answers you need in challenging times.
Within two hours of halting the launch, I had several options for resolving my problem. Although I found a reasonable workaround that would allow me to launch on schedule, it wasn’t one that felt right.
I chose a more comprehensive, long-term solution, one that will take some time to implement. Then, I put those wheels in motion.
I have a new plan.
As for the new launch date, I’m not sure yet. It depends how quickly I can resolve the payment process. You can wait a few weeks, right?
If not, you can preorder the program right here, right now: http://get1000subscribers.com
How to Know When Good Enough Isn’t Good Enough
You may be thinking, “Jenny, How do I know the difference between something that’s good enough and not good enough, especially since I tend to like everything to be puuuurrfect?”
Here’s how to know. Tweet this!
1. First, purge the emotion.
Never make a decision when you’re full of emotion. If you’re frustrated, angry, sad, or worried, get the feelings out. Hit pillows on the bed, scream at your couch, or cry on your bed.
Whatever you do, don’t suppress you emotions. Hanging onto them or stuffing them down will only make it more difficult to know what to do.
2. Clear your mind and your body.
After you’ve done a, emotion purge, clear your mind even more by moving your body. Run, kick box, dance, or do something strenuous for at least 10 minutes. More is better. I prefer a fast, four mile run.
Moving your body is an amazing tool for bringing in clarity when it’s needed. I don’t know the science behind it; I just know it works for me every time.
3. Ask yourself, “Would I be embarrassed by this?” Or “Will this cause problems I don’t want to deal with?”
If what you’ve created is good enough, you likely won’t be embarrassed by putting it out into the world.
Maybe embarrassment isn’t the right calibration tool for you. For me, I wasn’t embarrassed by the payment processing issue (okay, maybe a little), but I knew more importantly that it was going to cause problems if you purchased it. And that wasn’t okay with me.
4. Call on a friend.
After trying everything above, if you still can’t sort it out on your own, reach out to a trusted friend for input. Be sure to choose someone who will call you on your stalling, perfectionist BS.
Sometimes you may want to reach out to more than one friend if you need extra support.
5. At some point, you have to decide.
If you’ve done everything above, all you can do at this point is decide. Move forward or not? It’s your call.
Decide.
How do you handle situations like these?
I want to hear from you!
Have you ever faced a situation where you had to put the brakes on something at the last minute? How did you know what call to make?
Also, how do you tell the difference between “good enough” and “not good enough”?
I can’t wait to hear your stories!
Love this Jenny. I do the same. Moan and self-flagellate. Try to coach myself out of it. It doesn’t work if I haven’t moaned enough. Then I get in touch with my wise team of advisors (some amazing, soulful, brilliant women). They help me to see my blindspots and gain perspective. Do something physical. Fix what I can fix – accept what I can’t.
You are so wise, Bev, and funny, too! “It doesn’t work if I haven’t moaned enough.” So true!!
Thanks for being here with your honest, authentic self, showing us all that it’s okay to make mistakes. You are such a role model!
Thanks for sharing this Jenny- I appreciate your honesty about things not always going smoothly- and how to recover when that happens. This is much more inspiring to me than a facade that seems effortless or perfect! And not in the “oh thank god she has problems too” way- more in the way that our true stories (the beautiful and not so glorious ones) connect us in strong ways. Good luck with your launch- I look forward to checking it out!
Thanks for your support, Kari! I always worry about telling the truth in such a raw manner, but I know that I appreciate when others do the same along their journey. You words encourage me to keep telling the truth!
Jenny, I adore your transparency and your story. I’m very grateful for you sharing this as many of us might just learn something about not having to be “perfect” during launch and handling what we can & can’t control. SO thank you! All the best to you when you do launch! 🙂
Most of us can learn a little about being a little less perfect, especially us over-achieving types 🙂 Thanks for being here, Tanya!
You’re such a studette, Jenny. Ditto what everyone has said. And thanks for writing a clear four step process to help us online entrepreneurs get out of the madness — so succinct and true. When I give it space, I can see more clearly what I need to do. P.S. I know that your new product will be wonderful and help so many of us ….. no matter when it comes out. 🙂
Thanks for your studette comment, Aimee! That makes me smile! And for your loving support of the product.
You’re totally right: space helps us see more clearly. We can’t make decisions (good ones, anyway), in the thick of chaos. At least not very easily!
Glad to have you here, as always!
Love this Jenny – and so happy you’re sharing this experience of yours. I love when people are open books and share the good, the bad and the ugly with us – it helps us all grow!
Loved your steps – and especially need to remember #2. I often don’t move my body when I need to the most.
Thanks for being you ~ and can’t wait to watch your product soar once it launches! xo
P.S. Mercury went retro yesterday & is staying there until 11/26…might have something to do with what happened. 😉
Every time someone tells me the appreciate the stories of the messes, it keeps me telling the truth, so thank you for that, Stephanie!
I was hoping for an 11/13 launch but not sure everything will be in place in time. 11/26 was my second choice. Given Mercury retrograde ends then… may be the best date after all!!
Thanks to you, too, for showing up here with us all!
This is great! I had this happen too earlier in the year. Everything ready to go and then a technical glitch. Glad I waited and now my followers are always waiting for me to mess up again. I’ll be darned – the organizer isn’t perfect! Usually good enough though.
It happens to almost everyone at some point, doesn’t it, Miriam?! Thanks for sharing your oops here, too!
love this jenny- from someone who is so hung up on sticking to a scheduled release date, whether a product launch or a newsletter- i love that you went with your gut, and the world is still intact.. lol..
i can’t wait to hear about all the success you’ll have when it’s released!
xo
Thanks, Danielle! The world is still intact, isn’t it? Even for you–gosh I’m so sorry about such a long time you’ve had without power!!!
Jenny, your honesty is so refreshing. And, yes, this has happened to me many times as my sister & have been launching our shoe themed art work; shoe banter.
I’ve learned I need to be patient and disciplined to just stop, – stop and walk away for however long makes sense. The difficult part is when you have a day job, your time is limited, and you just want to get it done, i.e. update on the website, completing a video, submitting a package to mailed out to a potential business opportunity.
Thank you for being you; persistent with your passion, honest in your integrity – your messages have helped feed my own pursuits. It’s inspiring seeing your business is growing. Good-luck with your continued success!
Thanks for being here and sharing your story, too, Brenda. It is certainly challenging to balance it all, esp if you’re working full time.
Thanks for your support in me sharing my story. I don’t want to forget that people appreciate the truth, so I keep coming back to share my business truth with all of you!