The Funny Thing About Perfectionism

My name is Krysten and I’m a perfectionist.

I know, I know. It’s a horribly clichéd thing to say, but hear me out.

Since I graduated in 2012 with my Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations, I have owned the domain name prgirlindc.com. I wanted to develop a platform that highlighted my experiences working as a woman in Public Relations in the Nation’s Capitol. Additionally, I craved an outlet to capture my interesting and sometimes quirky take on current events from a marketing lens. But I was afraid. What if I couldn’t keep up with my posting? What if nobody even cared enough to read my blog? What if my ideas and experiences weren’t as funny, unique or impactful as I thought?

The PR Girl In DC concept lasted me through four years, two jobs and one huge entrepreneurial jump. Back in 2015, I was burnt out. I was in a position that was unfulfilling on all levels and in the process of moving on from a long term relationship. Needless to say, I had completely lost my passion and drive.

Then, something happened.

I was fortunate enough to take a trip to Dubai with some of my closest friends. While there, I sat on a sand dune in the middle of the desert and poured out my heart to the Universe. I expressed my dissatisfaction with how my life was panning out and asked for something more, or at very least, the courage to create my “something more”.

And so I took the leap. I didn’t think about it or worry too much – my theory being that it really couldn’t get much worse than it already was.

Upon my return from vacation, I walked into my boss’s office and gave her a two week notice.

I didn’t have a 9-5 job lined up, nor did I want one. I ended up declining over 15 job offers (all of which were offering some pretty healthy salaries) and decided to create the job I wanted for myself. Ever since childhood, I have always been scrappy and entrepreneurial.

So I took a bet on myself and it paid off.

Fast forward one year and I am living my best life. I have the freedom (and resources) to travel wherever I want, I’m working with cool clients who are looking to change the world or their communities and I’m really happy.

Here’s what I’ve learned: There is never really a “right” time. If you are waiting until the perfect time to ask for that promotion or raise, start your freelancing career or backpack the world for a few weeks, you may find that you’ve procrastinated yourself out of an opportunity of a lifetime.

Perfectionism is a productivity killer. Once you’ve thought it out, just jump.

So, maybe this blog will just be another one of my random ideas and pan out into nothingness. Or maybe I will be able to inspire another burgeoning Communications pro through my insights and tips based on my experiences thus far.

And that’s definitely a bet I’m willing to take. Welcome to my world.