Recently I was coaching a client on starting a tutoring business. Although she is a teacher and holds a Masters degree, she believes that she cannot start the business without taking a course that introduces and explains online tutoring resources. This conversation made me aware that it was time to teach her the value of B minus work.

Productivity

Productivity is all about the results you produce, not about how much time and energy you used to produce it. It does not refer to how busy and stressed you are. It is simply the results per unit of time. In other words, if you can get the same amount of work done in a shorter amount of time, you are going to be more productive.

In order to be productive you need to give yourself a time limit. There is no time for perfectionism. You need to be willing to do B minus work.

Perfectionism

Perfectionism means you don’t release your work into the universe until you deem it A plus. The safety of perfectionism means that your work is flawless, so that no one can judge you, or reject your effort. Perfectionism is for scared people.

If you want to live in a world of perfectionism, you will live in a world of non-productivity.

I have decided that done is better than perfect.

B minus work

By giving myself a time limit to produce my content and my work, I have signed up for B minus work. I would rather have my work out in the universe, subject to criticism, but available to help my people on a divorce journey. I know that I can always go back and revisit my work once it is produced to make it better. That doesn’t mean I am willing to put D and F work out into the world. I am focused and attentive, but I don’t get held up by perfectionism like I did in high school.

My client can start tutoring kids today. She has expertise, compassion and understanding for children with reading challenges. She does not have to complete a course to offer that to the world. That is not to say she should not take the course. If she wants to take it, she should. But she does not need to delay offering her unique skillset to our children.

The value of B minus work is that it can change people’s lives.  Work that does not get produced does nothing in the world.