If you haven’t read Tina Fey’s memoir, Bossypants, get on it. It’s the best. I love Ms. Fey for many reasons. Being a quirky brunette on the skinnier side of life with smaller breasts who wears glasses,dares to say funny things, and admits to being a real geek in prior lives makes her ::ahem:: wicked awesome if I do say so myself. Never mind that she is the writer and star of a hit show (30 Rock) as well as her many other accolades. Well that’s not the point of this post, but I would definitely do a Wayne’s World-esque “We’re not worthy!” dance  if I saw her in person. I have no shame.

The point of this post is to recall something influential that I heard or read this week that bears repeating, hence “Wordy Wednesday”. Ms. Fey takes the prize this time with her description of a producer’s words related to her perfectionism in writing during her time at Saturday Night Live:

The show doesn’t go on because it is perfect. The show goes on because it is 11:30.

If you have been reading WickedKate religiously, as I know you have, you know that I started my own business recently (PageLauncher – Graphic Design

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Consulting – Website In Development). I have historically been a perfectionist unwilling to share my work or stand up for myself unless I was absolutely positive I’d done my very best work. I didn’t want to start my business until I was 100% ready. It took me eight years of “getting ready” to realize the point Ms Fey made was absolutely true. If you wait until everything is absolutely perfect? You won’t ever do anything. In her example, sometimes the joke was PERFECT and made a positive splash in the comedy pool. Other jokes failed on the show because they weren’t right, leaving the writer (Fey in this case) feeling like a fat kid who took a giant belly flop from the 30 ft platform in front of the hottie from math class whom they were trying to impress.

[Pool example is a product of wickedkate – not FantasticFey – BTW]. While I still struggle with confidence, I am grabbing the business bull by the horns and hanging on. Ok so maybe I’m not quite “bull riding” yet. I’ll admit to only “mutton busting” (The child’s version of bronco busting where they hold onto sheep. I swear to God. Look it up! Fine – watch it here. I saw it in OK when we lived there. Shocked? I was too.), but I definitely am going to get the big buckle at the end of this rodeo. Thanks to Ms. Tina Fey for reaffirming my decision to not wait until the “time was right” and I was perfect before daring to go for it!

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