"Copyedit less, invent more."Seth Godin

Have you ever wondered why you don't get more accomplished?

Have you ever labored over finding the precise word, the ideal font, or the perfect turn of phrase? Have you ever edited yourself to the point that you don't push publish? Or you fail to ship the project? Or you simply don't "start" the endeavor?

I believe in editing. Editing makes writing, ideas - almost anything - stronger.

Editing is my trusted friend, but it's also the primary impediment to finishing projects. I enjoy tweaking and applying a little spit and polish to projects in the name of continuous improvement and, when this happens, I often get stuck.

I get mired in all kinds of sideways thoughts.

Whenever I'm finishing up a blog post, I debate about whether the post is "worthy." I wonder if anyone will be instructed, amused, or inspired by what I've written.
As I'm serving up a meal, I wonder if my assortment of dishes will please and if there enough color on the plate. (Yes, I think about food and color!)
When I'm taking my kids out in public, I wonder if anyone else has children who can't remember "please" and "thank you" without a stink eye from their mom.
At work when we're talking strategy, I'm convinced my ideas will be met with silence and an uncomfortable cough.

All of these thoughts have one thing in common: they are fear based. Fear encourages comparison and, if I pay close attention, I stop taking risks.

For me, it takes a little bit of courage to push "publish" on my blog. When I serve food, there's always some food that someone doesn't care for. Taking the kids to a restaurant, well, that requires no small amount of fortitude too. And work, well, that's a den of challenges!

Your list may look different than mine, but our processes are the same. If you want to innovate, you must welcome being scared. You must soldier on and make a friend of fear.

Whenever I lose sight of what this looks like practically speaking, I watch Greg Tung's record where he scared himself every day. Think of what his process must have looked like: find something you don't want to do and walk towards it - for an entire year!

Now imagine you just decided to this for a week? What new ideas could you try? What innovations would you make?

Maybe these images will inspire you!

Now excuse me, I have to go push "publish."

Don't Let Fear Kill Your Innovation