Hey everyone,
Welcome back.
I'm so glad you're here.
Today I want to talk about something that hits close to home for a lot of us.
Perfectionism.
You know that feeling when you just can't hit something because something doesn't feel quite right.
Or you keep tweaking a project,
A post,
A plan,
Waiting for it to be perfect.
Yeah,
That was me.
100%.
I used to proudly call myself a perfectionist.
It sounded like a strength.
Until I realized it was actually slowing me down.
I remember attending a training with Dean and something he said completely changed the way I saw my work.
He said,
Progress is better than perfection.
And I will be honest,
At first I thought,
Sure that's easy to say.
But during one of the exercises I noticed something.
While I was still trying to polish every line,
Everyone else had finished and moved on to the next thing.
That's when it hit me.
My obsession with getting things just right was keeping me from growing.
Because here's the truth.
You can't improve something that's never finished.
You can only refine once you have taken that first messy imperfect step.
Since then I have made a promise to myself.
I would rather complete something imperfectly than delaying it in the name of perfection.
And you know what?
I have grown faster.
I have learned more.
And I have actually enjoyed the process a whole lot more.
Because perfection is a moving target.
But progress,
Progress is power.
If you're nodding along and thinking,
That's me.
Here are a few simple steps you can start today.
Number one,
Set a good enough deadline.
Don't aim for perfect.
Aim for done.
Set a clear time and hit publish.
Post or deliver,
No matter what.
Number two,
Celebrate completion.
Reward yourself for finishing,
Not for flawlessness.
Done is a bigger win than you think.
Number three,
Shift your mindset.
Replace is this perfect with is this improving me.
Number four,
Embrace feedback instead of fear.
Let your audience,
Peers or mentors guide your next version.
Progress comes through iteration,
Not isolation.
Number five,
Remember progress compounds.
Small imperfect actions every day will beat one perfect action you never complete.
So if you're like me,
A recovering perfectionist,
Here is your gentle reminder.
Start messy,
Finish proudly,
Improve constantly.
Perfection isn't the goal,
Growth is.
And every imperfect action you take is a step closer to the person you are meant to be.
So go out there,
Take that first step,
Even if it's shaky.
Progress loves momentum,
Not perfection.
