I need to do better.

Sometimes I stand in the mirror and look at myself and say – out loud – “Girl, you need to do better!”

There are so many things about my writerpreneur life that I need to whip into shape.

The See Jane Write Collective needs a complete overhaul to improve the member experience.

I need to get serious about SEO. I need to take the time to optimize posts to the See Jane Write blog so that they’re more likely to show up in relevant Google searches.

Also, I need to master Pinterest and Canva.

My portfolio website – which still states that I’m a teacher by day — desperately needs an update.

Related Reading: After 3 years of procrastinating, I finally redesigned my website

I need to watch less TV so that I’ll have more time to read more books, magazines, and online articles.

Nearly every day I write in my journal about the big-name publications I dream of writing for, but I won’t make the time to send pitches to any of them.

I’m always behind in bookkeeping. I go weeks without reading my mail. My email inboxes will NEVER reach zero.

And most of all I need to FINISH MY EFFING BOOK!

But in spite of all of this I am not only surviving but thriving as a full-time freelance writer in the midst of a pandemic (and a battle with cancer). Editors want me to write for their publications. Small businesses and non-profit organizations want me to write content for them, too.

Despite all of my shortcomings, the See Jane Write community is growing. My influence is growing. And brands are reaching out to me for paid collaborations.

But most importantly, I’m inspiring women to write – which is why I do what I do in the first place.

Mandy Shunnarah, who is one of the most talented writers I’ve ever met, recently wrote a blog post declaring that she owes every byline she has to me. While I think she’s giving me WAY TOO MUCH credit, my point is this – I am a HOT MESS and yet I can still inspire people to say things like that.

All of these things are happening for me not because I’m perfect but because I keep going in spite of all my imperfections. I keep putting myself out there even when I don’t know what I’m doing!

I hope this inspires you to stop letting perfectionism stand in your way. You don’t have to be perfect to succeed at freelance writing, blogging or anything else.

Girl, just write. Just start. Just do the work! You can learn and get better as you go along.

Whether you want to freelance, write books, turn your blog into a business, or all of the above, you don’t have to have it all figured out before you begin.

You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to show up.