It’s okay to be a perfectionist

You can still get work done

Photo by Firmbee.com on Unsplash

I always thought that my need for perfection was my super power. Don’t get me wrong, the finished work often does end up being impeccable. That is, if the work is actually finished.

The biggest problem with perfectionism is that it masquerades as a good skill to have when actually, it’s quite the opposite. The need to produce work perfectly simply impedes your ability to deliver.

Yes, it’s important to put your heart into your work. And yes, it’s important to make sure that the work is of value. And yes, it’s important that work is error-free and good.

But, getting caught up in perfection simply means work slows down.

I envy people who don’t overthink and who can just put out work without much consideration. Because guess what, it’s not so bad. Sure, there are people who will do or say anything, and the quality is awful. But, for many it’s not.

I know the mantra “progress over perfection” and as much as I’ve tried to embed it into my own thought process, I keep reverting to my old ways of trying to achieve perfection.

The problem with that is no degree of perfection is enough for people who are as critical as I am. Whether we like it or not, we will overthink. And no matter what we produce…