Wise Advice on Increasing Productivity

unfinished bike frame“Learn to accept that one finished product is worth more then 100 unfinished ones.”–from 10 Ways I Sabotaged My Success

Ministry leaders that tolerate imperfection and string together a series of small wins are guaranteed to see more success than those that hold out or spend additional resources to get to perfection.

Most of the time when working with people instead of a product and pursuing aesthetic goals (such as changed lives) perfection NEVER happens, and resources are wasted or decisions are postponed until they are rendered ineffective or irrelevant.

“Odds are that once finished you will find that you are more than happy with the end result, without the need to continue perfecting it.”–same article

For most ministries making decisions faster and with less emphasis on perfection will dramatically increase their effectiveness. As a young ministry leader I under-appreciated the value of making decisions as a team. Making decisions always increased morale and boosted confidence, both collectively and individually.

“I often used the excuse of perfecting things to stop me from completing projects. Just make it ‘good enough’ and FINISH IT.”–same article

At first it can be difficult to determine what is ‘good enough.’ I’ve discovered that this is more art than science, and REQUIRES experimentation in order to have a clear sense of what is ‘good enough.’ Experiment with less important decisions or actions before trying out this concept on something important. It’s often a relief to complete something imperfectly and over time it can be enjoyable, especially as the reality that nothing is ever perfect sinks in deeply.


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