The 3-Step Formula To Overcome Procrastination And Scale Faster
Over my decades of working with entrepreneurs through Strategic Coach, I’ve seen one consistent pattern that separates successful entrepreneurs from those who struggle: their relationship with perfectionism. Here, I want to share a transformative strategy that has helped thousands break free from the traps of procrastination and perfectionism.
The breakthrough is simpler than you might expect, and it starts with one simple truth: every piece of multiplier growth in the world requires just three things—make it up, make it real, and make it recur. Let me break this down.
Make It Up: The power of the first 80%.
As an entrepreneur, your role isn’t to make it perfect and see everything to 100% completion—it’s to ideate, create, and provide crystal-clear direction. I’ve coached thousands of entrepreneurs in Strategic Coach, and I can tell you this with certainty: the successful ones excel at making things up, providing clear direction, establishing measurements, and then letting their team take the reins.
Most entrepreneurs miss the fact that the first 80% of any project is purely about making it up. And this is your job as a leader. Many talented individuals wait for someone else to create something new, as they are a part of the team that comes into play for the next steps: making it real or making it recur. As an entrepreneur, you’re only responsible for the first 80%. Then, hand it off to your management team for execution.
Make It Real: The hand-off to management.
One of the most powerful aspects of this system is what I call “explosive connections.” When you connect with others who excel in areas you don’t, you multiply your potential just by putting in 80%.
One such “explosive connection” is with project managers.
Yet some entrepreneurs wait for 100% perfection and thus never feel ready to let a manager make it real. When you’ve satisfied your 80%, understand that a hand-off to someone else to make it real is not just acceptable but optimal for success.
Make It Recur: The multiplication effect.
I often use this example in my workshops: There’s no money in making one microchip, but there’s a fortune in taking one microchip and making a million of them. This perfectly illustrates why understanding The 80% Approach is crucial for success.
The system works like this: You do the first 80% of creating something new. Take the remaining 20%, and do an 80/20 divide again. That’s where the project manager resides. Then, you do one more 80/20 divide for the recurring third step where your team comes in to finish the job and develop recurring processes. These recurring processes are what cause exponential growth.
I’ve watched this strategy eliminate perfectionism paralysis for countless entrepreneurs in Strategic Coach. It’s not just about getting things done—it’s about creating an environment where innovation thrives, where teams excel, and where you can achieve 10x growth while actually enjoying the process.
Putting The 80% Approach strategy to work.
To put this theory into practice, take out a piece of paper and list every project you’re not moving forward on because you’re waiting to perfect it. Be brutally honest. I guarantee you’ll be surprised by how many opportunities you’re leaving on the table.
Take one project you’ve been perfecting endlessly, declare your part done at 80%, and hand it off to your team with clear directions. Watch what happens when you finally let go of that need for perfection, and notice how it’ll finally get done in a way you could have never done yourself (if you ever finished it all).
Remember, this isn’t about lowering your standards—it’s about understanding where perfectionism serves you and where it holds you back. In my decades of coaching entrepreneurs, I’ve never seen anyone fail because they acted on 80% readiness. But I’ve seen countless opportunities lost waiting for 100%.
Your future growth isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being perfectly positioned for multiplication. So, start with 80%. Make it up. Make it clear. Then, let your team take it further.
