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In Pursuit of Perfection

Oct 28, 2012 General Blogging
Posted by Allison

In pursuit of perfection, we make compromises.

We say we’re only going to work during regular business hours, but we stay up late to get one last blog post written before falling asleep at our desks. Again.

We say we’re going to spend more time with friends and family, but we’re never fully “there” because we check out smart phones every few minutes.

We say we’re going to take vacations, but rarely do we go untethered, giving excuses like, “I’m building a business, so I can take long vacations in the future,” even though the future never seems to become the present.

In pursuit of perfection, we make compromises with our lives, forging deals with our loved ones and learning the meaning of “sacrifice.”

This is the point where you want me to tell you to stop it. It’s the point of my post where you’re hoping I point out that this is a real quality of life issue and that you have to learn to take time off to smell the roses. I’m sorry to disappoint you, but screw the roses.

If you don’t love, breathe, live your blog and the online business you’re building, then quit. This is a tough world where true people are really making an liveable income from blogging. I don’t begrudge anyone for making the decision that family time is more important than blog time. That’s a decision only you can make.

But go into that decision knowing the truth. The old cliche, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too” applies here. You can put your soul into your blog and make it a business or you can do it as a hobby. If you choose the latter, some complaining about the sacrifices you have to make. No one is forcing you to be a blogger. I like Margaret Atwood’s point #7 in her advice to writers:

You most likely need a thesaurus, a rudimentary grammar book, and a grip on reality. This latter means: there’s no free lunch. Writing is work. It’s also gambling. You don’t get a pension plan. Other people can help you a bit, but essentially you’re on your own. Nobody is making you do this: you chose it, so don’t whine.

In pursuit of perfection, you will run yourself ragged, and you’ll never truly achieve that perfection. Put on your helmet, rise above the mediocrity, and find joy in the ride. It’s going to be a bumpy one. But if you’re not really willing to reach for it, stop lying to yourself about it and instead find happiness in the compromises you choose not to make because something else was more important than working on your blog. That’s a valid path too.

And if you do make the decision to reach for perfection? Be honest about the hard path you’re traveling. After all, the last thing we need is another jackass talking about how easy it is to make money online.