Is it better to just get something out there, or to do something really well or not do it at all?
Where’s the line between death by perfectionism vs contentment with mediocrity?
I submitted an application to the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest today for my family’s business. You’d think I’d be able to complete a contest application without any major existential questions, but I guess today isn’t that kind of a day.
I learned some things, I have more questions about other things, and I changed my mind on others. Here are some of the things that I did learn, in hopes that they might help you if you’re ever in a similar position:
1. Prioritization is key.
This contest began at the end of February and the submission deadline was today, which is when I submitted our application. However, voting began a week after the contest started. That means that all those people who submitted their applications right away got an extra month of votes under their belt!
Granted, I wasn’t even aware of the contest until late last week. However, I still waited to submit it. Part of it was simply having preexisting commitments that I thought were more important, but part of it was waiting until the “perfect time” to sit down and do a really good job with it.
If you’re ever in a similar position, I would recommend at least coming up with a first draft as soon as you hear about the contest/event/deadline/etc. It will be easier to come back to a draft than to think about starting from scratch the day of the deadline.
Also, those preexisting commitments? I’ll bet you $20 (Monopoly money only, sorry) that half of those commitments could be rearranged with minimal side effects (other than you getting your application done sooner and better). I could’ve rearranged mine. I wish I did.
2. Choose your words strategically.
This contest allowed an elevator pitch in 140 characters, a description of the business in 500 characters, an answer on how you’d use the grant money in 500 characters, four pictures, and a 60-second video.
Even though a picture speaks a thousand words, let’s forget about those for the moment and focus only on the text and video. 500 characters is really not that much. At all. Especially for someone like me, who is much more comfortable in the 500 word range of things.
So plan it out ahead of time! Don’t restate the same thing in each spot. Use each field to convey information that is distinct, but still supports the main message you’re trying to get across. And if you include a video, use that as a spot to communicate some of your personal voice and style that the 500-character limit didn’t allow for.
3. Slow down and read the freaking rules.
So this one is especially embarrassing, but honesty is key so here we go.
The whole time I was filling out this application, I had no idea when it was due. All I had gleaned from the contest’s messaging was that submissions were due “by March 25th.” But did this mean anything submitted on March 25th didn’t count? Or was did anything before midnight on March 25th count? But even if that was the case, what time zone are we in? Should I look up FedEx headquarters to see what time zone they’re in and submit my stuff based on that and hope for the best?!
Little did I know that the contest rules (that clearly laid out the exact time frame of all the deadlines, including times of day and time zones) were located helpfully in the top menu. Had I taken the time to slow down, assess my virtual surroundings, and actually read the rules, the majority of the frantic stress and uncertainty would have completely melted away and I could’ve attacked the situation with a clear head.
However, because of all these uncertainties and this vague sense of impending doom and unknown timelines, I rushed through the application as fast as I could while attempting to maintain some semblance of quality. I got to the point where it said that I had the option to submit a video, and that’s where I got stuck.
My parents weren’t home, so I couldn’t force them to give a rousing speech for the camera. I also didn’t have any prerecorded one-minute videos of them laying out the framework of our business and our future plans and dreams that I could submit. I would have to create something.
And this is where that initial question comes into play. . . is it better to just put something out there—even if it’s low-quality, cringe-y (not in a good way), and not anything we’d ever be proud of sticking our names on in a regular setting—in the hopes that it’ll check a box and hopefully carry the application on to the next round? Or do we submit an application that’s strong everywhere else, other than the fact that it doesn’t include the *optional* video, and have it be a product we’re comfortable associating with?
Because let me tell you, I would not be comfortable associating with that video. Due to the pressure of not knowing which minute the contest submission gates would close, I was frantically selecting random pictures and video clips from last year and hoping that iMovie did a nice job of smushing them together.
Then I tried recording a voice-over narration to give some sort of context to the bizarre visual experience that was happening, but I didn’t even know what I was trying to say. Instead of stopping and taking two minutes to write even a rough script, I just kept trying to come up with something on the fly. Needless to say, it did not work. I said “We’re the story, and this is our Arends,” more times than not.
ALL of this could have been avoided if I had taken the time to stop, read the rules, and come up with a (rough) plan. I could have put together an acceptable video, even if it wasn’t perfect.
Actually, all of that could have been avoided if I had prioritized my schedule better in the first place.
So, like I said. Learning experiences all around. Some of them are more honorable than others, but they’re still lessons.
I hope that if you’re ever in a similar situation that you can think of my decisions and make more informed choices for your own life. However, something I’m discovering about myself is that sometimes lessons don’t quite click as reality unless I’m the one going through the motions.
If that’s also the case for you, I’m sorry. Feel free to reach out and we can help encourage each other to not have to do stupid stuff to learn valuable lessons.
Also, if you’re interested in seeing what the final product ended up being (sans-terrible video) you can check out our submission here. Feel free to vote (for us, preferably, but I’m sure whichever small business piques your fancy will certainly appreciate the votes).