☝️ Ivan Barajas Vargas' 1 Thing
What is the One Thing you've learned or done in your career that's made everything else easier or irrelevant?
I’m starting 2021 by asking a few entrepreneurs this question:
“What’s the One Thing you’ve learned or done in your career that’s made everything else easier or irrelevant?”
The question is adapted from the great book, The ONE Thing. It’s about leverage:
Life is short; the day is only 24 hours long. It’s really, really hard to make a big impact in a world that doesn’t want to change. Given this, what skills, knowledge, mindsets, and routines help good people accomplish great things?
So far, every answer I’ve received is different, practical, and thought-provoking.
Please reply to let me know what you think - Is there a better question I should ask? Who else would have an interesting answer?
Ivan Barajas Vargas' 1 Thing
Ivan is the CEO and Co-Founder of MuukTest, a Techstars and MassChallenge-backed startup focused on software quality testing automation.
I’ve known Ivan for a few years and have always been impressed with how quickly he learns, experiments, and improves MuukTest.
So I asked him: “What’s the One Thing you’ve learned or done in your career that’s made everything else easier or irrelevant?”
Ivan’s response:
Differentiate ‘What needs to be perfect’ vs. ‘What needs to be good enough.’
For most of my life and career, I have been pursuing perfection. When I became an entrepreneur, I realized that if I wanted to move fast, I couldn’t make everything perfect. Sometimes, for some things, I just need to check the box.
This question of ‘What needs to be perfect’ vs ‘What needs to be good enough’ is closely tied to how I approach prioritization.
Before I prioritize, I first need a clear picture in my mind of what I'm trying to achieve, why I'm trying to achieve it, what alternatives exist, and what are the possible consequences of imperfection.
There are always trade-offs. If I’m a perfectionist about one thing, it means I have less time to be a perfectionist about something else. I consider my priorities, objectives, second and third-order consequences before determining ‘What needs to be perfect’ and ‘What needs to be good enough.’
This also applies to personal life, not just business.
There are things that matter, things that are meaningful... and things that are not.
Depending on each individual case, some things may need a tighter grip on perfectionism while others may need a looser grip. If you are planning 2021 resolutions, goals, or projects you must be selective.
Perfectionism requires time and energy. Not everything is worth the commitment required to achieve it.
What do you think? Is there a better question I should ask? Who else would have an interesting answer?
Rob