Done is Better Than Perfect: Why You Should Stop Striving for Perfection
The world needs more doers, not just dreamers chasing perfection
Do you ever find yourself going down the rabbit hole of perfectionism? I know I’ve been there. I used to be a perfectionist, like a mad scientist in a lab, meticulously examining every atom and molecule, spending hours on a task just because I wanted it to be perfect. But let’s face it, perfectionism is like trying to catch a unicorn — it’s a magical idea, but it doesn’t exist in the real world. And all that effort is just plain exhausting. So, now I aim for ‘good enough’ and call it a day. And, this is not just about “being lazy”, it’s also about being more productive.
Pitfalls of Perfectionism
Perfectionism can be a real buzzkill, leading to procrastination and a constant fear of failure. If you continually strive for perfection, anything less than perfect feels like failure. As a result, you may avoid taking chances or trying new things for fear of not getting it right. But let’s face it: nothing in life is perfect.
Instead of striving for perfection, focus on progress and taking action. Get started, even if it does not feel right. The world needs more individuals who take action and accomplish things rather than dream of perfection. This is particularly prevalent in today’s fast-paced world, where we are constantly bombarded with distractions and competing demands for attention.
There will always be room for enhancement, but at some point, you must let go and move on.
Power of Progress & Mistakes
Rather than seeking perfection, it is essential to concentrate on making progress and taking steps toward achieving your objectives, even if it isn’t perfect at first. Improvements and adjustments can be made later. Optimize. Optimize. Optimize some more. In the end, progress is about growth and learning, and it’s okay to make mistakes and take detours. As long as you keep moving forward, you’ll get there. And who knows, maybe you’ll create something even better than you initially envisioned.
Art is never completed, as Leonardo da Vinci famously stated; it is simply abandoned. This is true for any task or ambition.
Dare to add your own spin to a task
When you’re focused on getting everything just right, you may miss out on opportunities to experiment and try new things. It’s similar to baking a cake and following the recipe to the T but still ending up with a cake that tastes like cardboard. Sometimes, you must add a little of your own flavor, your own magic, and make it work.
Go ahead and add a dash of your own flavor, your own je ne sais quoi, your own secret sauce. Who knows? You might just end up with a masterpiece that’s uniquely yours, a shining example of what can happen when you let your creativity run wild and not any perfect recipes hold you back. And if it doesn’t work out? Well, at least you’ll have a funny story to tell at parties about the time you tried to make a cake and ended up with a lopsided, yet strangely delicious, creation that defied all logic and reason.
So really, perfectionism can be both a boon and a bane. It can motivate us to excel and achieve great things but also hinder us from taking action, preventing us from putting ourselves out there and making progress. I say we all take chances, take bold steps forward, focus on progress, learn from our mistakes along the way, and embrace the beauty of imperfection today.
