DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT
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This has become my new mantra and I can’t even claim it as my own.
I got ’Done is better than perfect’ from Sheryl Sandberg’s BRILLIANT book Lean In (if you haven’t read it, then do… I urge you), and in turn, Sheryl – Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer – got it from Facebook’s HQ where it shouts from a poster on the wall.
Now, if those words have helped Facebook get to where it is today then there must be something in them.
’Done is better than perfect’ is a brilliant mantra for modern mothers because it lets off a little bit of
SelfishMother.com
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steam. It releases the pressure gauge that sometimes simmers within us. It means we don’t have to try and over-achieve when something just-about-done will, well… do.
Since I read it, I’ve used it on a daily basis in all manner of circumstances.
+ Haven’t had time for a shower? Stick some lipstick on and a spritz of perfume, ’done is better than perfect.’
+ Too many emails to reply to? Quickfire replies whether they make sense or not, ’done is better than perfect.’
+ Going to a kid’s birthday party but haven’t got a present? Take a
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balloon or go empty handed, ’done is better than perfect.’
It’s amazing when you start to use this phrase how empowering and energising it is. The amount of times recently I’ve found myself attempting to do something that I’m finding either difficult / dull / time-sapping / or all three, when I’ve stopped in my tracks thought DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT and then finished the task there and then, half-arsed, but done-enough so that I can do something more fun instead.
This very blog post is a case in point. I’ve been meaning to write this
SelfishMother.com
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post for weeks, but haven’t had the time to sit down & do it properly. So now I’ve decided to bash out my thoughts in half an hour before I go to bed. And I’m sure I could write lots more on the subject, and it could maybe be more articulate… and the picture could be a little better… but I’m tired so I’m going to stop right now.
Sorry this isn’t quite perfect. At least it’s done….
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Molly Gunn - 11 Jan 14
This has become my new mantra and I can’t even claim it as my own.
I got ‘Done is better than perfect’ from Sheryl Sandberg’s BRILLIANT book Lean In (if you haven’t read it, then do… I urge you), and in turn, Sheryl – Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer – got it from Facebook’s HQ where it shouts from a poster on the wall.
Now, if those words have helped Facebook get to where it is today then there must be something in them.
‘Done is better than perfect’ is a brilliant mantra for modern mothers because it lets off a little bit of steam. It releases the pressure gauge that sometimes simmers within us. It means we don’t have to try and over-achieve when something just-about-done will, well… do.
Since I read it, I’ve used it on a daily basis in all manner of circumstances.
+ Haven’t had time for a shower? Stick some lipstick on and a spritz of perfume, ‘done is better than perfect.’
+ Too many emails to reply to? Quickfire replies whether they make sense or not, ‘done is better than perfect.’
+ Going to a kid’s birthday party but haven’t got a present? Take a balloon or go empty handed, ‘done is better than perfect.’
It’s amazing when you start to use this phrase how empowering and energising it is. The amount of times recently I’ve found myself attempting to do something that I’m finding either difficult / dull / time-sapping / or all three, when I’ve stopped in my tracks thought DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT and then finished the task there and then, half-arsed, but done-enough so that I can do something more fun instead.
This very blog post is a case in point. I’ve been meaning to write this post for weeks, but haven’t had the time to sit down & do it properly. So now I’ve decided to bash out my thoughts in half an hour before I go to bed. And I’m sure I could write lots more on the subject, and it could maybe be more articulate… and the picture could be a little better… but I’m tired so I’m going to stop right now.
Sorry this isn’t quite perfect. At least it’s done….
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Molly Gunn is the Curator of Goodness at Selfish Mother, a site she created for likeminded women in 2013. Molly has been a journalist for over 15 years, starting out on fashion desks at The Guardian, The Telegraph & ES Magazine before going freelance in 2006 to write for publications including Red, Stella, Grazia, Net-A-Porter and ELLE. She now edits Selfish Mother and creates #GoodTees which are sold via TheFMLYStore.com and John Lewis and have so far raised £650K for charity. Molly is mother to Rafferty, 5, Fox, 3 and baby Liberty. Molly is married to Tom, aka music producer Tee Mango and founder of Millionhands. They live, work and play in Somerset.
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