Perfectionism leads to creative constipation

"May I ask if/how your clients get bogged down or might struggle to complete some aspects of their signature coaching program?"

Probably the biggest obstacle to creativity that I've seen is perfectionism. People can get positively paralyzed when they think that they need to do, be or have MORE _______________ in order to ______________.

Perfectionism leads to creative constipation. You keep working on something, refining it and honing it, but it isn't going anywhere; it's not fulfilling it's purpose out in the world.  When you make your gift so precious that it can't be shared, that's a problem, because it kills the gift. It's kind of like being pregnant and trying not to give birth until the baby is all grown up!

At one time, I thought it was because people were afraid of being judged by others; but I've come to suspect that it's really our own judgment that we can't tolerate. The gremlin voice is whispering that what you're creating isn't finished, it's not good enough yet--YOU'RE not good enough yet.

The answer is to turn down the volume on your gremlin, and let things happen naturally--stop holding back. No one is ever going to benefit from your gift if you keep it to yourself, right?

Having said that, I also feel that it's healthy to strive for excellence. I'm always looking for ways to improve my offerings; the key is to get whatever it is OUT THERE in the world AND keep working on it; let it continue to evolve. I think there's much more grace in that approach than in holding it back until it's "perfect".