Genuine Vibes - Why Perfect is Overrated
Article From Sunday Doughnuts 🍩
If there's one message that I ever hope to pass along to you in all that I create and share; it's to be unapologetically authentic and genuine. In all aspects of your life. With your friends, your spouse, you kids, your followers, in your content, and most importantly; with yourself.
Unintentionally, that became the theme of this week in the content I created as well as what I ended up consuming from other creators. Maybe it was the Baader–Meinhof phenomenon or everyone was on the same page, but i'm currently in a place of self discovery as a creator (lucky you to get to see this all from the beginning) and this has certainly been the theme of this quest.
There's a lie that we tell ourselves that everything has to be perfect. It has to be professional and put together before it can be presented. This is the lie that kills million dollar ideas every single day.
This is the lie that stops you from reaching the potential that you were meant to reach. This is the lie that even prevents us from STARTING.
But what if we got passed that lie? What if we just leaned into the "imperfect", "Unprofessional", "incomplete", "messy", and just did SOMETHING? What then?
--Then, you would have started. You would be DOING the thing, not just talking about it. You would be learning and growing in your field instead of standing still.
Take this newsletter for example; If you're reading this as of November of 2023, I have ZERO subscribers. Okay, actually I have a few... but they're all different email addresses of mine to test things out. So, I guess that doesn't count... still zero.
But I believe in the story I have to tell. I believe in the passion that I have to create. I believe in the lessons that I've learned so far in what I've done and the lessons I have yet to learn that are worthy of sharing. THAT is why I am writing to my future subscribers.
Whoever you are, wherever you heard about me, this newsletter or my journey, I am SO thankful that you are reading this today. 🙏🏻
Now let's take a bite out of this weeks content
1️⃣ Seth Godin writes about the importance of being an amateur in his article The Amateur Presenter.
Find just one person. This is repeated often enough to be hackneyed, but it’s still ignored. I mean it. You have a microphone. There’s a room with some people in it. One of them, just one, is the sort of person you can tell your story to. So tell it to them. Ignore every other person. Don’t project your voice to fill the room, don’t pace around like Zig Ziglar or choreograph your slides, or tell jokes. You don’t do that in real life. Well, this is real life. Find one person and tell them your story. If other folks want to listen in, that’s fine.
This goes far beyond public speaking. This is about all the content you share. This is about BEING YOU. Embrace being “in the process”. Welcome being an amateur. There are very few “professionals” out there. Stop trying to be perfect, just be genuine and authentic.
2️⃣ Alex Mathers in his Mastery Den newsletter talks about the sharing of personal experiences of your journey and how those stories connect with your audience on a much deeper level than anything else. Read the full article here.
When people share successes that are personal to their journey and relevant to their audience, people take more interest.Everyone wants to level up and gain an advantage in this competitive world.They will be attracted to you if it feels like they're getting some kind of insider knowledge that others aren't giving. It's like a little rush.
Don't overcomplicate this. Just share your journey and what you’ve experienced. Build your audience by being true to you. People want to read about REAL people doing real things and how those things worked out or didn't workout. That's it.
3️⃣ Jocko Willink recorded an incredible podcast episode with Jason Khalipa where they discuss a BUNCH of great topics. One of which, Jason talks about going in for an interview with a company years ago and he was turned away because he didn't have a good suit. It was then and there that he decided that he never wanted to be in a business where he'd be judged on his attire rather than his work ethic and capabilities.
To nerd out a bit as an OG CrossFitter, I am a HUGE fan of Jasons. Always was and always will be. Even more so after listening to this episode. I came into Crossfit in '09 when Jason was THE name that was being talked about. I feel like I have been watching his journey from the front row for the last 15 years and have been amazed by this guys character. Now i'm in my early 30's and he's in his late 30's and both our trainings have changed in a similar way. From highly competitive CrossFit, to functional longevity with the addition of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Super cool. This was a great episode. LONG, but well worth it.
4️⃣ Brene Brown has a quote that I just recently read, and it hits like a ton of bricks. 🧱
"One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through and it will be someone else’s survival guide."
To say that this is fitting for this weeks newsletter is an understatement. There are some quotes that find their way into your life that you make note to remember for the REST of your life. This is one of those for me.
Everything that you are going through right now is happening for a reason and with purpose. What you are experiencing, you will one day be able to share with others and they will use your words and lessons to navigate what THEY are going through.
Without going too far down a rabbit hole, I'm a police officer and work the homeless outreach division of the police department. DAILY I talk to people with the craziest stories you've NEVER heard. Most of which are almost too crazy to be believable. The chain of events that led to them being on the streets for every single one of them is straight out of a movie.
Often, when I meet someone out there that is lucid and willing enough to have this conversation, I give them my "you should write a book" speech. I tell them that their story is worth telling. That very few people EVER have comeback stories like that could have. I tell them that If they are able to get their sh*t together and get clean, there are millions of people out there that would read their book.
999 times out of 1000, this speech will go in one ear and out the other. But I hope that for that ONE person, things will click inside and they will get clean, figure their sh*t out and write that book. I can't wait to read it.
5️⃣ Lastly, inspired by and consumed with the idea that more often than not we set ourselves up for failure. Not by what we do, but by what we DON'T do. Being in the grind can blur everything around you. It's what we call tunnel vision. When your entire focus is locked in on one destination. And while that hyper-focus is crucial in so many ways, the ability to step outside of that tunnel to look at it from another angle is just as, if not more important.
In the case of "inaction", the simple fix i've found looks like this: I'll stop focusing on all the millions of details for a second.I either define or redefine the MVP (minimum viable product) so that I know what the starting point looks like. Remember, 0-1 is all you need at first.Ask myself "what do I need to be doing RIGHT NOW to move the needle forward?" If I can do it myself, I do that. If I need to delegate the work to someone else, I delegate and then work on another part of the project myself.Remind myself "action over analysis".
✍️ I wrote this article HERE that describe the "I'll Start When" lie that we tell ourselves. Don't fall for the trap. Lead with action and embrace the mess. Momentum IS messy.
Final Note: The journey you're on might feel lonely at times. It might feel like no one understands what you are trying to build. But don't let any of that deter you. Stay true to YOU and build with your future audience in mind.
Until next week, stay in the fight.
Kevin