The 80% Approach

How good are you at creating systems? Yep, we’re going there. System creation is the most important and least favorite task on your to-do list. I know why you avoid it. Two enemies are standing in your way: procrastination and perfectionism.

Perfectionism in particular causes friction between team mates. I owe a ton of credit to Laura, my rock star assistant. She does everything in her power to make my life easier. Laura even goes through all the trouble of organizing the beverage cooler just right. And then I mess with it!

She spent time making it perfect, only for me to come along and change everything. She was a little taken aback, and honestly, I would be, too.

Most of the time, you don’t know how to make something perfect. You put it off because if the system isn’t right the first time, you don’t want to create it at all. Now you’re procrastinating!

Enter the 80 percent approach. Complete 80 percent of a system as fast as possible. Come back to it later, then fix another 80 percent. And then another. Everyone chips in their 80 percent, which eliminates the pressure to make it perfect. I don’t care if you start with chicken scratch. Just get it going!

But first, watch this video on how the 80 percent approach works.

See you next week,

Kirk