Introduction
Have you ever spent hours tweaking a single slide in your online course, agonizing over the font, the colors, the precise placement of every element? I have. In fact, I once spent an entire week just trying to perfect the welcome video for one of my courses. It was a disaster, the experience, not the video. Every single take of that video was just fine. And it taught me a powerful lesson: Perfectionism is ALWAYS, in all caps, the enemy of course creation.
Now, you might be thinking, “What’s wrong with wanting things to be perfect?” And on the surface, it sounds admirable. We are trying to create the best possible learning environment for our students to be successful.
But trust me, when it comes to creating online courses, perfectionism can be just as effective at stopping you from moving forward as trying to take a trip in a car that is out of gas or battery charge. It can hold you back, drain your energy, and even prevent you from ever launching your course.
The good news is that perfectionism doesn’t have to keep the upper hand, even if it is currently in that position right now. When we face perfectionism and understand it then we can put it in the trash bin and put it out on garbage pickup day!
Today we are going to create a course creation experience for ourselves that gets rid of perfectionism and introduces action-taking.
The Struggle with Perfectionism
We’ve all been there, haven’t we? That nagging feeling that something isn’t quite right, that it could be just a little bit better. We tweak, we edit, we obsess over the smallest details, all in the pursuit of perfection. But in the world of digital course creation, trying for perfectionism can quickly become a trap. In reality, perfectionism is always a trap.
That welcome video I mentioned? I re-recorded it at least twenty times. I changed the background, my outfit, my pacing, my facial expressions, and even the script. I was convinced that if it wasn’t absolutely perfect, the course wouldn’t work the way I hoped, and that people would ask for refunds before even digging in.
Talk about pressure! And you know what?
All that effort didn’t make a bit of difference.
What did make a difference was finally letting go of perfection and just putting it out there.
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Done is better than perfect.” and it is true.
It is easy though, to feel that fear of judgment, especially in our overly online world these days where there are trolls out there just to disrupt our peace.
Either consciously or subconsciously, we tend to worry about what other people will think of our work, so we try for an unattainable standard of flawlessness. For some of us that is because we have been in activities where perfection was the goal. As a musician, I can’t tell you how many times I would practice those same three notes to get them perfect and then add them back into the piece and work tirelessly on getting them right as well. For others, it is something we learned as school kids working for those grades to get into a specific college, and sometimes it is something that comes from comparison even if we have never struggled with perfectionism in the past.
The issue is that this kind of pursuit of perfectionism in our courses can lead to never-ending editing and revisions. We get caught up in the weeds and lose sight of the trees, the forest, and the overall impact our course can have.
And if you’ve ever been friends with perfectionism, then you know it’s good buddy procrastination. We get overwhelmed with what has to be done and so we put off getting started or put off getting back to the module, lesson, script, editing.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard about a course creator who is stuck at the very beginning of the brainstorming process because they don’t see a way forward with all of the details and tasks that have to be done.
The keys to banishing perfectionism are to really understanding the costs it brings, managing mindset, and being practical when setting up task lists and to-dos. I’m going to call these our three premises to stop perfectionism from killing our digital courses.
Three Premises
Premise 1: Perfectionism Isn’t Free
Premise 1 is that perfectionism isn’t free.
So, what’s the real cost of perfectionism in course creation? It’s more than just wasted time and energy.
You might have heard me talk about this before, but perfectionism can lead to analysis paralysis. We get bogged down in the details, the right way to do something, the perfect course platform, the best webinar slide design that we become unable to make decisions or take action.
And it can creep in where we least expect it. For example, I always upload these podcast episodes to YouTube in video format, but over the past few months, I would upload the video and never publish. Why? Because I couldn’t come up with the perfect thumbnail that would get attention and generate interest.
This leads us down a path of missed opportunities. Every day that those videos are unpublished is another day that a course creator doesn’t find them, watch, and take action. Not only did this impact my business, it also means that I’m not creating the kind of impact I want to make in my clients’ lives as course creators.
I’m willing to bet that you’ve done something similar at some point. And the more pressure we put on ourselves, the more overwhelming taking action becomes and the more likely we are to burnout before even getting a course to launch.
The constant pressure to be perfect is most definitely not free and can lead to resent, frustration, and anxiety as an entrepreneur.
All that time I spent perfecting (or rather, obsessing over) that welcome video? I could have used it to create more valuable content for my students, market my course more effectively, or simply take a much-needed break. Instead, I was stuck in a cycle of self-criticism and procrastination.
Premise 2: Mindset Shift
The key to overcoming perfectionism is to shift our mindset. It’s about embracing the “good enough” mentality and accepting that your course will never be absolutely perfect.
This can be incredibly hard. And I say this as someone who has dealt with perfectionism for as long as I can remember. This is why it is a mindset shift. We aren’t going to completely kick perfectionism to the curb when it is part of our DNA, but we can learn to embrace the imperfect.
But does embracing the imperfect mean putting something out there that you aren’t proud of? Not in any way shape or form! Embracing the imperfect is letting go of unrealistic expectations of perfection.
We can learn that our course, our business has tons of value, meaning, and impact even when it has flaws. And today, when AI seems to be taking over, I would argue that the imperfections will actually become more meaningful because they show us that the course is being written by a human. It is being fact-checked by a human. There is a human behind the course support and the intention. The truth is that now, more than ever, imperfections are going to be seen as relatable and authentic.
I recently heard someone share that they were editing their videos less now, then ever before because it shows the humanness of what we are doing. Let that sink in for a moment. They are editing LESS. In fact, the videos that I’m seeing doing well on social media, on YouTube, and other outlets are the ones that show authentic humans who are imperfect.
The mindset shift becomes one of MVP: minimum viable product.
We have to focus on creating a core set of content that delivers value to our course students and then once it is out in the world, we can make adjustments, add in new video lessons or extra examples. We can host a live call to talk through the challenges our students are having and use that feedback to make course updates.
In other words, we can improve over time. This does mean that our course will not be a set it and forget it kind of venture. But honestly, they never are, despite what some creators might lead you to believe. We will always be adjusting and making our courses better.
And the easiest way to do that is to open ourselves up to feedback. This is definitely a mindset shift away from perfection because it means we are openly saying to our course students, “Hey! I know the course isn’t perfect and I’d like to make it better. Pile on that feedback so that I can deliver even more value to you.”
I guarantee that your belly will do some circus worthy flips and flops as you open that feedback, but if you can power through that stomach dropping feeling you’ll get some great insights.
Once I finally launched that course (imperfect welcome video and all!), I was amazed by the positive feedback I received. My students didn’t care about the tiny flaws I had been obsessing over. They cared about the value of the content and the results they were getting.
Your students will feel the same.
Premise 3: Be Practical
So, how do you actually put this into practice? You have to be really practical and down to earth about approaching your course when perfectionism either has or is trying to creep in and set up shop.
There are three straightforward approaches to tackling perfectionism that I’m going to share with you today.
The first is to set realistic deadlines. Break down the course creation process into smaller, manageable tasks, and set realistic deadlines for each grouping. I had a client who was working on their course and was in the mucky middle where it felt like they had gotten some things done, but needed to set a deadline for getting to the course launch. In order to do this, I shared the course checklist that I use with all of my clients. To keep overwhelm down, up to this point, I hadn’t shared the checklist with the client because they preferred to think about one task at a time so I was giving them the next task as we worked together. Long story short, I shared the whole checklist and the deadline they had set for themselves shifted to be more realistic. With that shift, their mental load lightened, their stress lifted a bit, and they didn’t feel so overwhelmed. They looked at their calendar and figured out just how many hours a week they could devote to their course given all of the other demands on their time.
The other key here is to know that sometimes deadlines change. I’ve been working on a mini course and have had to push the deadline a few times because life things were more important and required my time and attention. Do I love that I had to move that deadline? No. Not at all, but that is the key. We need to set realistic deadlines and then work diligently toward them. The delay I had wasn’t due to perfection, but instead things outside of my control.
When we set those mini deadlines, it is really important to also celebrate each little step of progress. It doesn’t matter how small it was. Maybe it is figuring out how to add lessons and modules to your course platform. I definitely celebrated when I did that for the first time in Thrivecart, which is not my normal course platform!
When we acknowledge each step, we are less likely to get discouraged by setbacks. It is like author Benjamin Hardy says in his book, The Gap and The Gain. We have to focus on the gains that we have made rather than the gaps that we have yet to achieve. When we focus on the gains, we are going to amplify our progress and progress breeds progress, which is what we want.
The other piece of being practical is to challenge our thoughts. When we find ourselves slipping down the very steep, slick and fast slope to perfectionism we have to stop ourselves quickly. The best way to do that is to simply say, “Is that true?”. In fact, one of the ways I love to implement this approach is to use what our kiddo learned in grade school when deciding whether to say something to someone else. Run it through these three questions: 1. Is it true? 2. Is it kind? 3. Is it necessary?
While these questions were initially intended to be focused on what we say to others, how we speak to ourselves is just as important. And these three questions can really make a difference.
Think about the welcome video I talked about. Is it true that I need another take? Am I being kind to myself and in my critique? Is a re-take necessary to get the point across? In the case of that welcome video, the answer to all three questions would have been no. That would have told me immediately to keep moving forward with my progress and away from perfectionism.
Action Item
The best way to build momentum and overcome perfectionism is to take action. Don’t wait until everything is “perfect” to launch your course.
After launching that course, I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I realized that perfectionism had been holding me back from sharing my knowledge and impacting the lives of my students. And the more free resources, podcast episodes, courses, mini courses, and workshops I launched, the easier it became to let go of the need for perfection.
This week, I challenge you to take one small step towards launching your course.
- Outline your core content.
- Plan your modules.
- Record a short introductory video (even if it’s not perfect!).
Don’t let perfectionism hold you back any longer. Action is the antidote to fear and self-doubt. And I want to hear what you choose to take action on. Let me know with a message on Facebook or Instagram at Digital Course Creator Guide so that I can help you celebrate that progress!
Sixty-Second Solution
Before we wrap up, I just want to talk for a moment about something that I’ve been thinking more and more about recently. In today’s digital world, we are being bombarded with polished, perfect-looking content. Beautiful videos, with amazing office backgrounds, polished slides that are drool-worthy, and delivery that doesn’t contain a single, “um” or “uh”.
And it’s easy to feel like we need to compete with that level of perfection.
But here’s the truth: People want authenticity. Even as they use AI, they turn around and want to connect with real people, with real stories, with real imperfections.
So, don’t be afraid to let your humanity shine through in your course. Embrace your quirks, goodness knows I have a ton! Embrace your unique perspective and your imperfections. That’s what will make you AND your course stand out in a world of AI-generated content.
Where to Go Next?
Perfectionism is a common struggle for course creators, but it doesn’t have to be a roadblock. When we understand the costs of perfectionism, shift our mindset, and then take a really practical approach to course creation, we can put perfectionism in the trash can and put it out by the curb for pickup.
Shifting away from perfectionism and toward action is how we become six-figure course creators. It is how we make an impact for our students. It is how we get excited to keep creating and building resources based on our expertise and experiences. This is what makes a real difference in the lives of our students.
And if you find that perfectionism is taking over, check out Episode #192: Perfectionism is the Fastest Way to Digital Course Creation Failure and Episode #214: Master Your Mindset: Three Essential Actions for Digital Course Creators for ideas to help you move forward.
As always, thank you so much for listening in. If you found this episode helpful, please share with your entrepreneur friends and colleagues who are building a digital course in their business and be sure to subscribe to the Digital Course Creator Podcast wherever you are watching or listening to this episode.
Until next time, happy creating!
