Let's Talk about Perfection

...and progress over perfection

I originally wrote this newsletter in June 2024, a little over a year ago. I’m so glad I launched when I did even though it was (and still is) far from perfect. If I hadn’t started as The Simple Girl’s Guide x The Practical Pen, then I wouldn’t have evolved into The Simple Freelancer. And who knows what else wouldn’t have happened. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting things to be perfect, but things don’t usually start that way, and there’s a lot of progress that happens on the way there — wherever “there” is.

Hi. I'm Steph, and I'm a perfectionist. Not all the time, and I definitely realize that not everything has to be perfect, but if there is a standard of "perfection," I'm going to strive to reach it.

Photo by Efe Kurnaz on Unsplash

If there's a test, I'm going for 100%.

If there's a budget, I'm trying to stick to it.

If there's a space, I'm working on keeping it clean and organized.

It's a continual pursuit.

When I was in 5th grade, I remember my mom telling me that my B in math was ok, to which I responded that it absolutely wasn't, and I would try harder. I'm not sure she's ever really known what to think of me!

So, imagine my horror when I not only failed to send out the newsletter two weeks ago, but when I sent out last week's newsletter about consistency, I realized that I didn't change the title or the subhead.

That got me thinking about perfection. I know that the goal is actually progress over perfection, but I also don't see a problem with wanting to get things as right as possible. But that may take a lot of time, and it's about the continual pursuit.

And I don't think that's a bad thing.

There's a lot of talk now about resting and taking care of yourself, which I definitely agree with, but I think that sometimes, those sentiments take away from the feeling of really making progress after working hard towards something. After facing challenges and overcoming them.

I remember back in like 2016, Lauryn and Michael Bosstick of The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Podcast talked about launching fast and adjusting as you go. I really took that to heart then and now. Wanting things to be perfect isn't a bad thing, but getting paralyzed by needing things to be perfect right away is.

That's why I started this newsletter when I did. I don't have the time at the moment to really make it what I want it to be (and what I want it to be is still TBD at the moment), but I wanted to start. Start from a place that's imperfect and make progress toward perfection - whatever that even means.

So, if you're here and you're reading this, I'm so glad you're on this journey with me, and I can't wait to see where it goes!

As always, you can Ask Me Anything about freelancing, morning routines, work-life balance, and all things Placed. Just click up there 👆. Last week, I received a very sweet message from one of you with a few different questions. I answered the first two last week, and I’ll answer one today and save the rest for next week — mostly because I’m long-winded! (P.S. If you’re the one who sent the message, I’d love to chat more! Feel free to DM me here or on LinkedIn! *This also goes for anyone else reading!)

How did you start freelance writing? You just sent out pitches and article ideas to newspapers and magazines? Did you write some examples to be able to show future clients?

I started freelance writing on Upwork in 2019, and I have to give the bulk of the credit to my husband for this. Right away, I wanted to edit blog posts for other people. I sent out at least a hundred emails to bloggers asking if they needed help editing. I got a few responses and did a few free examples, but I didn't get any traction. But Lauryn from The Skinny Confidential sent me a very sweet package just for reaching out.

As I was doing this, my husband kept reminding me that I had an Upwork account and that I’m a good writer. I’ve always been a writer, but I really hesitated to jump into it because I was focused on editing others’ work. I finally listened and just started sending proposals for writing jobs that looked interesting.

One of my early jobs was writing for an affiliate beekeeping blog in Lithuania. I got $30 for a 1,000 word post and was absolutely over the moon! I ended up sending a proposal to an agency that needed someone to write about countertops which moved me into the building materials and home improvement niche — I still work with this agency six years later! I also did some real estate writing for a property finder in Spain.

A Timeline of My Newest Clients

As I gained samples (and confidence), I started responding to job postings and calls for pitches that I saw on Twitter or LinkedIn. The Writer’s Job Newsletter was a huge help as was Kat Boogaard’s newsletter (though she’s not sending hers anymore). I got some clients (I think Home light and Flyhomes) from sending messages to people who had posted that they needed writers. And then I did some cold outreach and started sending messages to editors of publications that I wanted to write for (this is how I started working with Angi and Bob Vila).

Clients and publications have come through different avenues over the years. Some have been responses to cold outreach. A few have reached out to me. A few have been from referrals.

A[nother] Timeline of My Newest Clients

I’ve also reached out to other freelancers who write for pubs that I’m interested in. I usually start by asking about their experience with the pub, and then I’ll ask if they’re willing to share the editor’s info.

I guess my advice when looking for clients is to be bold and tenacious. Reach out to people and introduce yourself even if you feel awkward. If they don’t respond, don’t be afraid to reach out again…and again…and maybe again. Before I wrote for Forbes Home, I reached out to multiple people multiple times. Eventually, one of my former editors started working there, and I reached out to her!