I used to be that writer.
The one who couldn’t hit “send” until I’d edited a draft for the 27th time.
The one who’d stare at a sentence, convinced it could be tighter, funnier, smarter—until I killed the entire flow.
Grammatical errors? Typos? Even a misplaced comma could send me spiraling.
(Spoiler alert: sometimes, I’d edit so much that I ended up reintroducing the same typo I fixed an hour ago. Truly, peak comedy.)
the turning point: clients don’t pay for perfect
Here’s the hard truth I learned the moment I started writing for clients:
Nobody is paying me to submit the next great American novel.
They just want their content delivered—on time, clear, and good enough to do its job.
That’s it. Done beats perfect every single time.
Because while I’m busy over-polishing, the world keeps scrolling, clicking, and buying. Meanwhile, my “perfect” draft is sitting in Google Docs collecting digital dust.
done vs perfect in marketing
In marketing, speed matters. Your campaign, post, or email doesn’t need to be flawless—it needs to connect.
A witty caption with one awkward sentence? That’ll still get posted, shared, and remembered.
A long-delayed post that’s technically flawless but three weeks late? That’s called a missed opportunity.
Perfectionism might make your work shinier, but done gets results.
giving myself a break
So these days, I let myself off the hook.
I hit publish.
I let an email go out even if it has one line I think could be smoother.
I stop tinkering when I’ve hit the point of diminishing returns.
Because done means progress, and progress compounds into growth.
And honestly? The internet is moving too fast for anyone to notice that missing Oxford comma anyway.
your turn
If you’ve been sitting on a draft because it isn’t “perfect” yet, here’s your permission slip: hit publish.
Get it out there.
Improve as you go.
Because imperfect action will always beat perfect hesitation.
Ettenyl Writes 