The Myth of the Perfect Idea
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They say that you should tackle your most important tasks at the beginning of each day. That way, if things go sideways later, you’ve already accomplished your biggest priority. Which is why, every morning since late 2021, I start my day with Wordle. If you’ve never played Wordle, here’s the gist: Each day, you have six chances to guess a five-letter word. After each guess, the game gives you three colors of feedback: GREY means the letter isn’t in the word. Which means every guess gets you closer to the solution, even when it feels like a complete miss. Five grey letters? You just eliminated five options! I like Wordle for a lot of reasons: it’s a fun way to ease into the day, it keeps my brain sharp, and I get to see how I did compared to my friends and family. But the real reason I love Wordle is this: it’s a perfect model for the creative process. We like to imagine great ideas springing from the ether in a single Eureka! moment. I call this "The Myth of the Perfect Idea." What actually happens is you start with your best guess. Then you see what’s right, what needs to move, and what needs to go. Then you do that again and again until everything turns green. I’m living this process right now with my new book. I wrote the first draft last fall, then sent it to my editor, my publisher, and a group of early readers. They all sent back feedback, which fell into three categories:
I took that feedback, went back to the manuscript, and made another pass. Last week, I sent out those changes to readers. The jury is still out, but the early response is strong. I’m sure there are still a few yellow and grey letters in the mix, but we’re getting close. First drafts are always rough. That’s just part of the process. But you can’t improve something that doesn’t exist. I’d love it if every idea popped into reality in its most perfect form. But that’s not how it works. It works by taking your best shot, figuring out what’s working, and trying again. If you’re feeling discouraged by your current project, here’s the good news: your effort isn’t wasted. Don’t waste that information. Let’s get some green letters on the board. Happy Friday, friends. Make it a good one. Kyle Scheele |
Kyle Scheele
One useful idea about creative leadership, once a week
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