If there’s one thing that holds many new (and not-so-new) online entrepreneurs back, it’s this: trying to make everything perfect before we hit ‘publish’. We polish. We tweak. We second-guess. We tell ourselves that if we just adjust that headline, change the background music, find a better image, or rewrite the opening line one more time, then we’ll be ready to publish. But here’s the thing: while we’re ‘perfecting’, we’re not progressing. And that’s a big problem. If you’re stuck striving for perfection, it’s time to embrace the power of progress over perfection in online business instead.
The perfection trap: Why we delay
Perfectionism often wears a clever disguise. It can look like professionalism. It can feel like care and pride in your work. But more often than not, it’s really disguising a form of fear.
- Fear of being judged
- Fear of failing
- Fear of putting yourself out there and being met with silence
There are many others I could add to this list, but in the spirit of this article, 3 is enough!!
The trouble is, perfectionism creates paralysis. And paralysis gets you nowhere.
In this digital space, progress over perfection in online business means taking consistent action. Your 80% finished blog post, video, or product that goes live today will do more for your business than the “perfect” one that never sees the light of day.
All the planning and training in the world will not get you a gold medal if you never get on the starting blocks!
The shelf life of content is short
This might be hard to hear if you’ve spent hours on a single Instagram post or a beautifully edited YouTube Short – but the truth is, most online content has a very limited window of visibility and it’s shorter than you think!
- On Facebook, your post might only show up in someone’s feed for a day or two
- On YouTube Shorts, most of the engagement happens in the first 24–48 hours
- On Instagram, even reels fade quickly unless they go viral
So if you’re putting all your energy into making one “perfect” post a month, you’re missing out on dozens of chances to connect, grow, and learn in real time.
Instead, focus on creating consistently and improving as you go. That’s the essence of progress over perfection in online business.
Nothing online is ‘set in stone’
One of the great things about working online is this: everything can be updated.
You can:
- Edit a blog post
- Delete it
- Change your website design
- Swap out your YouTube thumbnail
- Improve your SEO title
- Update an affiliate link
- Re-record a video and replace the original
Perfection is not a requirement – it’s a delay tactic. And worse, it’s a false idea. Because what seems perfect to one person might not land successfully at all with someone else.
Version 1 now. Version 2 later!
I often tell myself, “Let this be version one.” It’s a gentle reminder that getting something finished – even if it’s rough around the edges – is better than keeping it hidden until it’s flawless.
In my time, I’ve created many things: performances, videos, multimedia programmes, blogs, etc etc etc…
One thing I realised early on, especially when directing a play or a video, is that no matter how much effort and time you put into things, there will always be something you wish you could change when you watch it back or sit in the audience. It’s human nature – we’re wired for progress and improvement. Now it’s more difficult to go back and redo a whole scene once the show is up and running, but that’s what they do in professional theatre – there are cast changes, understudies, and they fix things that don’t work after the first night if they need to.
In online business, that means you can update, edit or delete things but you have to publish them first!
💡 Progress = momentum
💡 Momentum = growth
💡 Growth = improvement
This is the cycle we want to be in – not the one where we spin in circles waiting for the stars to align!
This mindset shift – from perfect to published – is one of the most freeing things you can do for your online business.
Practical tips to help you publish more (and panic less)
If you find yourself trapped in the perfection loop, here are a few things that might help:
1. Set a time limit
Give yourself a maximum of 2 hours to write and publish a blog post. You can always come back and edit later. With the wealth of AI tools available, such as those at Wealthy Affiliate, this is now a reality.
2. Use a simple checklist
Basic SEO? ✅ Clear headline? ✅ Featured image? ✅ Internal link? ✅ That’s enough for now.
3. Batch content creation
Create a set of short videos, quotes, captions, or blog outlines in one go. This reduces the pressure on each individual piece. I’ve done this on one of my other sites, using a simple template to create Facebook posts that I can schedule over a week or so. See below for examples.
4. Schedule monthly updates
Block out time each month to polish or refresh older content. It keeps your site current and your perfectionist side happy.
5. Ask, “Is this helpful?” not “Is this perfect?”
If it serves your audience in some way, it’s ready to go.
What is perfect, anyway?
Perfection is a myth. A moving target. A subjective idea shaped by personal taste, expectations, and comparison. Someone else’s “perfect” might feel too polished or too cold. Someone else’s “rough” might feel wonderfully human and relatable.
And remember:
You cannot please ALL of the people ALL of the time…
In fact,
You cannot please ALL of the people, ANY of the time!
What really matters in your online business is:
- Being useful
- Showing up
- Building trust
- Staying consistent
And none of those require perfection.
Just keep going!
I’ve borrowed a very well-known phrase for the title of this article, and I like this because it helped people get off the couch and into fitness. Getting up, getting started and keeping going is EVERYTHING when you are starting or continuing an online business. Every piece of content you create teaches you something. You get faster. You get clearer. You learn what works and what doesn’t. Those lessons are priceless but you’ll never learn them really by reading a blog, taking another course or thinking about starting.
So stop waiting for perfect. Publish the blog post. Upload the reel. Share your message.
Because who are the people who are winning in this game?
They’re not the ones who waited until everything is flawless.
They’re the ones who showed up, again and again, and let their work evolve along the way.
Choosing progress over perfection in online business doesn’t mean rushing or lowering your standards. It means trusting that you’ll grow through action and experience, like learning to walk! You just had to get up and give it a go!
GET UP AND TAKE THAT FIRST STEP!!
Your turn
Do you struggle with perfectionism in your online business? What helps you keep moving forward?
Pop a comment below or share this with someone who needs the reminder…
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Why “Just Do It” Beats Waiting for Perfection. Time and again, entrepreneurs are reminded: the enemy of good is perfect. As Sarah‑Jane Dale from Progress Partners puts it, obsessing over every detail, logo fonts, website pixel margins, or minor copy edits, can stall your momentum and drain energy better used growing your business.
In my own experience, having delayed launching offerings, waiting for them to be “perfect” ended up costing more of my time than any typo ever could. Your audience doesn’t need perfection; they need value, now.
Striving for flawlessness isn’t just inefficient; it’s mentally toxic. Psychotherapists warn that perfectionism fuels guilt-based “toxic productivity,” which can lead to burnout.
Conversely, when you give yourself permission to release imperfect work, like social posts, blog drafts, or early-course launches, you create some breathing space. That space sparks creativity, optimism, and steady growth.
The Minimum Viable Product (MVP) approach is gold for online biz. Build a basic version, launch it, then adapt based on real-world feedback.
Take Jeff Walker, he launched his Product Launch Formula with a rough initial version and improved it through iterations. That’s how you build something customers genuinely want, not something imagined in your head.
Momentum comes from small wins so, celebrate progress weekly even posting five social updates or sending one email could feel minor, yet momentum compounds fast.
Many entrepreneurs share that delaying launches for perfection leads to missed opportunities. One user wrote on Reddit:
“I recently started my business… I get so caught up in making everything look perfect… as I learn things will become ‘perfect’ as I consistently progress.” That milestone mindset, that done is better than perfect, propels you forward rather than stagnating you.
Think of your online project like a sculpture in progress, not a final polished statue. Each removed bit of clay shapes it closer to a recognisable form. And yeah, the first pass is rough, but it’s real and genuine. It’s feedback ready and it’s alive.
I often find, once something’s launched, even in its raw form, it’s no longer a monologue, it becomes a dialogue with your audience. That real interaction shines brighter than any theoretical perfection ever could.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do, but for me slow and steady is my personal way forward!
Kind regards,
Martin
Hi Martin. Thank you so much for taking the time to read the post and for your insightful comments too. I totally agree with you about this as I have struggled with wanting everything to be perfect my entire life. Now, I’m middle age, I’m able to let go of all those expectations and focus on getting stuff done.
I wish you all the best with your own business too. Drop back soon. Gail
Hi Gail.
Your article “Just Do It! Why I Go For Progress Over Perfection In Online Business” is a motivational and practical call to action for any one of us trying to build an online business—especially helpful if you’ve ever felt stuck waiting for things to be “perfect” before hitting publish ( I know this all too well ). It emphasizes that perfectionism can be disguised as the dreaded fear of failure, judgment, or silence— paralyzing us from keeping our content from ever reaching the world. Many times I had thought and re-thought about finally writing just to see hours turn into days, turn into weeks without hitting go..
Your message rings true that momentum matters more than flawless execution. Publishing something is far more powerful than endlessly tweaking content that never goes live. This way of thinking can benefit new and experienced entrepreneurs by encouraging consistent action over constant refinement. For me it’s a reminder that progress equates to posting, testing, learning—and is what leads to growth in your business, not perfection. Your idea on scheduling routine monthly updates is a great tip to break up the perfection loop and with your call to action for us to stop waiting, start sharing hits home because the real success stories are built by those who take imperfect action consistently and course correct as we go.
Hi Drew. Thanks for your comments on this article which I think are great because you have picked up on the main message. We all get struck sometimes and sometimes we all need a little push to help us over the next hurdle.
I hope this has helped you over that block and look forward to hearing about your progress. Gail