You get the vision. You start down the path of making the vision come to life. It’s not coming together quite as you planned.

You can choose to:

  1. Pursue it and keep going.
  2. Or quit in the vain of “It’s not meant to be.”
  3. Or give it some time to breathe and become what it really needs to be.

What do you do when you know you want to move forward with your vision or a project or a launch but “it” isn’t ready yet? It’s not the quality you want…it’s not 100%.

Maybe you’ve sabotaged it along the way and realize that so you are course correcting. Or “it” isn’t ready to be birthed yet.

You know that if you settle for the 80/20 rule then you are settling into mediocrity. (80% works, 20% is the last little bit that you talk yourself into being okay.)

How do you go for excellence without getting sucked into the trap of infinite perfectionism?

How do you share the kind of message that people would hide under the covers for to listen to you? Let me explain…

My favorite band of all time is U2. I remember when I was in high school they had a live concert from Ireland airing on the radio in the US. It was airing at some absurd hour in the US and I put my radio under the covers of my bed so I wouldn’t wake up my siblings in the next room or my parent. I stayed up all night and listened while being absolutely mesmerized until wee hours of the morning.

I’ve been waiting for U2 to release their latest album, meanwhile scouring their site for their tour updates and I was saddened to see that they were delaying their latest album release until 2015 until I read this by the band’s guitarist:

“We do not want to let go of anything if we are not 100 percent happy with it.” He continued to say, “The thing about U2 songs is there is no set way they come into being.”

relevant-successfulWould people do what ever it takes to listen to your message (hide their radio under their covers so they don’t get in trouble by their parents)?

At a September 2011 press conference at the Toronto Film Festival, Bono, 53, feared the band was “really close to the edge of relevance,” noting “there’s a giant chasm between the very good and the great, and U2 right now has a danger of surrendering to the very good.” He reiterated those sentiments to The Hollywood Reporter in February when he noted that “to be relevant is a lot harder than to be successful.”

Let me repeat that: “To be relevant is a lot harder than to be successful.”

Relevant: Having direct bearing on the matter at hand; pertinent; distinctive; top-of-mind.

greatWhat would you have to do and believe about yourself to produce something GREAT instead of something that’s ‘very good?’

A year ago I had the vision of Soul Vision Business School. I have had plans for months now…getting things ready. Getting my experts lined up. Putting together the marketing strategy. I even did a soft launch.

But something wasn’t right. And for a few moments I questioned my inspired vision because I was noticing “Business Schools” pop up in what seemed like everywhere.

I don’t want to put thousands of folks in it like B School or even a couple hundred people in it like a 10k Club or a Sassy Mastermind. There isn’t anything wrong with those programs, they just don’t resonate with me and it’s not in alignment with how I contribute my genius to the world.

So I put things on hold and I’m getting the “very good” parts to be “great.”

This has not been easy because I have an “all or nothing” personality. I make shit happen. I move mountains. Or at least I have.

fruitsoflaborIn my business transitions in the past two years, I know that when I ignore my intuition and PUSH without LISTENING, then I burn out before I can even enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Been there. Done that. Next.

Now I’m adding the finishing pieces to this masterpiece so it’s great and doesn’t slip into the dangerous place of “very good.” You’ll see it this summer. 🙂

My perfectionist tendencies can have a never-ending party with this so how do you know when you are done and it’s time to release your creation to the world?

Here are the ten signs you are ready to launch your creation (even when you don’t feel ready):

  1. You are scared. (you may want to throw up, maybe you do)
  2. You look for excuses to make it perfect.
  3. You (usually) unconsciously seek out people who will justify you being “sensible” and do the “responsible” and “reasonable” thing.
  4. You don’t want to wait for others to bring the solution to the world, you know the time is NOW.
  5. You have this moment of “Wow, if this really works, this is going to be freaking awesome.” That thought is quickly followed by “Wow, if this is my new life, I can never go back to the old life.” And there is almost a feeling of grief or loss as you say goodbye to your old life.
  6. You are following your intuition and the idea has been inspired from a higher place, not your ego.
  7. Part of you doesn’t feel “ready” but the deeper part of your soul is whispering “yes, it’s time.” And you listen to your soul.
  8. You have all sorts of resistance show up in the form of technology being not cooperating, family members or friends creating drama, kids getting sick, the car breaking down, the basement flooding, etc.
  9. If you were to get HONEST with yourself, you couldn’t live with yourself and be happy if you didn’t at least make a real attempt of getting it out into the world.
  10. You’re done with the labor pains and know it’s just time to give birth to that baby already! one…last….push…

The bottom line is you’ve got to get your work out into the world in order to leave the legacy you want,  to make the money you want and enjoy your life to the fullest.

Go and do. You’ve got this.