The cost of doing nothing
Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE #182
If you’re a content creator and you’re not creating content, your inaction is killing your potential to succeed.
Don’t believe me?
Take my story as an example.
Back in 2010, I was going to take the internet by storm. There was only one small problem: I had nothing to talk about and no one to listen.
Fast forward to 2017 when I decided to delete everything on my website in order to begin again from scratch.
It took me the next five years to produce anything that was in any way half decent, and it was only in May of 2023 that I finally summoned up the courage to begin writing and publishing on Substack.
So, I wasted WAY TOO MUCH time because I wanted everything to be perfect (and of course, nothing is ever perfect), and now, I write and publish a newsletter twice a week because I’ve made it my business to focus on taking action.
I get that starting out is a fearful place from which to begin. We've all been there. But there comes a time when you have to throw caution to the winds and get shit done.
That blank page staring back at us, the cursor blinking away as a symphony of doubt and uncertainty gets louder and louder in our heads.
We agonize for hours—sometimes for days—over the coming up with the perfect headline, or just the right angle, or even just the right way to say something.
And all the while, the clock ticks onward and we’re busy doing a fat lot of nothing.
Then, the unthinkable happens: analysis paralysis sets in, and before we know it, whole weeks have simply vanished into thin air, all while the cursor stubbornly blinks on and on.
Our total indecision, our abject fear of wanting everything to be 100% perfect, is without a doubt the number one silent killer for all content creators.
I don’t care who you are or how much experience you have or how much planning you do or how brilliant you think you are, all of this inaction is a hidden cost that’s far greater than any sort of writer's block.
The cost of perfectionism is stagnation.
READ THAT AGAIN.
Perfectionism isn’t a goal, it’s a TRAP! Perfectionism will drag you down, hold you back, and strangle your efforts to get something—ANYTHING—up and out there.
Perfectionism thrives on:
Missed opportunities: Every day that passes without new content is a missed opportunity to reach your audience, build your brand, and drive engagement. In the fast-paced world of online content, waiting for the "perfect" moment can mean losing ground to competitors.
Diminishing returns: The longer you delay, the harder it becomes to get started. Procrastination breeds procrastination, and the initial fear of the blank page morphs into a mountain of self-doubt.
Loss of momentum: Consistent content creation builds momentum. It establishes a rhythm, a habit of producing. When that rhythm is broken, it takes significant effort to get back on track.
Forget about making everything perfect and instead, focus on taking action. Lnow this: action outperforms perfectionism any day of the week!
The truth is, there's no such thing as a perfect piece of content.
Take this article as an example.
I know it’s riddled with half-formed thoughts and transitions that could do a much better job of pulling the narrative together. I’ll bet there are a whole gaggle of readers out there who can’t stand the way I write short paragraphs.
And there are probably a few people reading this who will happily question my use of words like gaggle and momentum. Please yourself. If you don’t like my writing, don’t read it.
So yes, I know there will always be room for improvement in my writing and that it could do with more editing for refinement, polish, tone, and pace.
But here’s the thing: striving for perfection before you EVER hit publish" is a fool's errand.
What truly matters is action.
Create it and get it out there! Get your content out there, even if it's not perfect. You can always iterate, refine, and improve based on feedback and results.
Learn from your mistakes: Every piece of content, good or bad, is a learning experience. Analyze what resonated with your audience and what fell flat. Use this data to inform your future creations.
Build confidence: Each piece of published content builds confidence. It reinforces the belief that you are capable of creating and sharing valuable content with the world.
Take it from me: the cost of doing nothing in content creation is far greater than the risk of imperfection. I farted about for years before I finally got my ducks in a row and decided to simply go for it.
So, ditch the endless planning and the paralyzing pursuit of perfection. Embrace the power of action. Start creating, start sharing, and watch your content grow.
As always, thanks for reading.
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P.S. Next time on Shaking the Tree … Is AI really your enemy?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the U.K., Gary Bloomer is a writer, branding advocate, marketing specialist, and an award-winning graphic designer.
His design work has been included in Creative Review (one of the UK’s largest design magazines). Since 2009, he has answered over 5,000 marketing and business questions in the Know-How Exchange of MarketingProfs.com, placing him among the top 3% of contributors. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.