SG Wants to Know: What Are You Afraid to Ship?
No, we're not talking FedEx
Sometimes you can’t be sure if you like something ’til you try it.
{Great reminder from appropriately-named Etsy shop Today Sunshine}
If you show up nice and prompt at 8am to style girlfriend DOT COM, there’s a good chance you might spot a few things that seem…off.
A sentence that ends abruptly with no object following the verb. Capital letter nonsense words like TK and RE.
That’s because I’ve gotten in the (bad) habit of doing my last check of a piece only after a story’s gone live.
Probably not super-efficient or professional, right? In my defense, there’s something to be said for looking at a product fresh, after it’s shipped. Through your eyes. In the world. Ya feel me?
Usually once I see a piece live, I notice things I don’t like—an awkwardly phrased sentence, formatting that’s totally off—that I quickly change and update. A quick punch of the “refresh” button and (practically) no one’s the wiser.
Sometimes the changes are a little more…ahh, pressing.
Why? Well, I’ve been known to put off figuring an idea out for myself until there’s a sense of urgency. As in, “Okay, other people are looking at this now, so I’ve really gotta fix [whatever gaping hole the story still has] (if you’re curious, TK means that copy is to come, while RE is my own personal shorthand for “reword this garbage sentence, Megan”).
By the time we’re tweeting about that day’s story, or throwing it up on Instagram Stories, everything’s fixed and looking hunky dory.
Well, I hope, anyway.
I adopted this strategy not because I’m lazy, or sloppy—though sure, sometimes I’m both of those things—but because I don’t want the idea of perfection to hold me up from shipping.
The notion of “shipping” (and subsequent fear of doing just that) comes from author/entrepreneur/digital person Seth Godin. To publish, turn in a report, or throw out an idea in a meeting—they’re all different forms of shipping.
Godin talks about how the resistance to shipping comes from inside yourself and is the work of your “lizard brain,” the prehistoric part of your brain stem that’s eternally vigilant for enemies. It’s still living in prehistoric times, when enemies wanted to kill you, so that brain part wants you to go unnoticed.
It hates creativity, and it hates failure, because both make people notice you.
The lizard brain plays devil’s advocate, suggesting that whatever you come up with, people will hate, so why don’t you just keep it to yourself?
The lizard brain means well, but it’s 2018, and you don’t need to go unnoticed to stay alive anymore.
Improving your personal style—from the clothes you wear to the meals you cook—can be similarly stunted by shipping fears, too. Sometimes you don’t know if layering that shirt under that sweater under that blazer looks good ’til you walk out the door and start getting some feedback. You see it in the daylight, you walk by store windows where you get a good glance.
And you get feedback from others, too. Whether that’s vocalized (“Hey champ, looking good today”), or an intriguingly raised eyebrow from a usually catty co-worker.*
*Yeah, that’s right, in this example, you look good in both situations…it’s my site; I can say what I want.
Similarly, you don’t know how far you can run until you start running. You don’t know if you can make a whole meal until you follow the recipe and start sautéeing. You don’t know if you wrote an article people will like ’til you put it up on your website.
From there, you can tweak your “product” (whatever that may be) for better results…pretty much right away. That way, the next time you’re pretty much assured you’ll get even better results. After all, you can’t get worse, right?
For me, it’s a worthwhile reminder that you ought not to expect perfection on the first swing out of the gate. Like that questionable sports metaphor, which I’ll probably fix…shortly.
Tell me:
What are you afraid to ship? What can you do to get past that fear?
style girlfriend girl talk
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A really trad ensemble as much as I love the classics. I have my trad days and my days where I do the blazer and jeans thing but the days I go old school (blue blazer, gray trousers etc.) I know I am going to be in for it at work as I work in a place where people wear flip flops to the office.
Don’t know that I get past it but I make extra sure I am not doing it half-assed those days.
I can’t think of anything in particular that I am afraid to ship. I don’t have too much fear with wearing things anymore. It’s usually just a particular combination of clothing that I think up in the morning while getting dressed.
I overcame one of my fears yesterday. I usually go with the classic Clarks brown chukka boots every fall. But, (And I know I’m not supposed to start a sentence with “But” buuuuut somebody needs to change that rule haha) I felt the need to go out of my comfort zone. I wanted to stick with something casual just to get around in on the weekends because I have plenty of tan/ brown dress shoes/ boots that I love. So I went with these instead http://www.clarksusa.com/eng/product/denton_trex/26067893
I like ’em!
Not really “afraid”, more like “this probably isn’t worth reading out loud” when I “half-ass” an assignment – as in do it in the morning or something like that. Apparently that’s just me though as it hasn’t really influenced my grades negatively, nor do most of my profs think it’s bad so Idk. Granted, I only do that in subjects I’m pretty confident in. As for style wise? I don’t really see reason to be afraid of anything, I mean people are gonna judge you either way. Where some see “sharp dressed man” – others will see “entitled yuppies full of themselves”.
The only time I will really refrain from “shipping” something – mostly pertaining discussions – is when I don’t actually have anything to contribute/I feel I’m lacking in knowledge in that area. I also reserve judgements if I feel the information available is insufficient.
That is a good rule, Alexander! Often people speak up just to hear the sound of their own voice; it’s always better to stay silent til you have something interesting to add 🙂
That is a good rule, Alexander! Often people speak up just to hear the sound of their own voice; it’s always better to stay silent til you have something interesting to add 🙂
I just recently started wearing sport jacket and dress-everything. I want to wear a suit–3 piece, even–to work. But every time I go to the tailor to have something made, I go for an odd sport jacket or pants. I know I will look really good in a suit (I have a black, 3-piece suit, and that’s it) but I’m already the best-dressed with my current ensemble, so I still don’t know when I will eventually get my 3-piece, navy suit.
Don’t wear a three-piece suit to work if no one else even wears suits. Wearing the most formal clothing in the room doesn’t make you the best dressed, it just makes you the most dressed up.
I’m sure GQ or whatever told you a three-piece suit was the one absolutely essential suit that every guy needs, but sometimes your lizard brain instincts are kicking in for a reason.
I’m a software developer and I already broke all the “rules” with my current ensemble. But the CEO and the like are on the same floor and they wear suits regularly.
I won’t wear a tuxedo to work, but I still believe a 3-piece is not wrong to wear here at my work. I know someday I will wear it, but it’s not a priority (no budget) right now to acquire one.
As a long time software developer I will warn you about suits, even if upper management wear it – the hoardes in flip flops will turn on you. Keep it where you have it.
In Linchpin Seth Godin attributes the idea of shipping to the Steve Jobs quote “Real Artists Ship”.
I am always afraid my short films aren’t done or something major will be off, but you’ve got to get it out there and in front of people.