Letting Go Of Perfect Frees Your Time And Energy

Chasing perfect looks like high standards, but it often undermines progress — and even relationships. Dana shares two personal stories about how perfectionism affected her husband and her daughter, and what she learned about choosing “great” instead. Learn how to spot perfectionism, apply the 90% Rule, and give yourself permission to stop at great. Perfect isn’t always perfect — sometimes great is actually better. Change doesn’t mean starting over or following a big philosophy. It can be as simple as learning something new about yourself… and choosing one small step forward. Dana's Clarity Chat will ignite inspired action as you start your day.

Transcript

Perfect isn't always perfect and sometimes great is actually better.

Let's talk about why chasing perfect can hold you back and can even affect your relationships.

Perfectionism is something I have wrestled with for years.

I'll redo something not because it wasn't fine but because I thought I could do better.

Almost like competing with myself.

So here's a story for you.

I've been married for 30 years to my husband and when we were newly married I remember a time when we had guests coming and my sweet husband had offered to help me clean the bathroom and in fact I think his parents were coming so that ratcheted up the stress a little bit more.

He was working hard at cleaning that bathroom and instead of me being grateful I waited until he was done and he was off doing something else and then I redid his work because it wasn't to my level of perfection.

Well you can guess what happened.

He found out because he caught me in the act.

He felt undermined like he wasn't valued and I'm sure he never wanted to help again but of course he has in all these years that we've been together and I thought to myself this is a good lesson to learn because guess what years later I repeated the same pattern with my teenage daughter.

You know just like when we talk about how things keep showing up it's because we have not learned those lessons.

She was cleaning her bathroom as part of her chores and I immediately pointed out that she had missed something.

Well her response like a teenager would well you do it then.

Oh man I had done that again.

I had criticized her and I felt terrible and I was falling back into the perfectionism trap and I was disappointed in myself because I thought I had learned these lessons a long time ago.

The trap of perfect.

Perfect steals time and connection.

It delays progress,

Drains energy,

And creates tension with the people that you love.

So why not try using a new standard of great instead of perfect.

Great frees you.

It saves time.

It preserves the relationships around you and it lets you move forward.

So try 90% rule.

If it's already at 90% then stop.

That last 10% usually takes the most energy for the least amount of payoff and it can also take down a relationship in seconds.

So here's your question for today.

Where are you chasing perfect right now?

What would great look like instead?

As I say goodbye for today I want to close with a reminder for us all to aim for great not perfect.

You'll free up time.

You'll protect your energy and maybe even strengthen your relationships.

I hope you have a wonderful day.

Thanks so much for joining me and I'll chat with you later.