Consistent progress outshines perfection.
We may feel that “if I can’t do it perfectly, it’s not worth doing”. The real truth is that if we limit ourselves to expecting only perfect work, we would never accomplish anything! If we embrace our imperfections, we can begin the process of moving from amateur to expert!
Create reasonable, achievable goals.
Perfection is not the only roadblock to finishing a project. We also make things difficult by creating overly ambitious goals. For example, one psychologist asked his students to predict how long it would take them to compete their thesis papers. On average, students estimated they would need 34 days to finish, but the reality was an average of 56 days – nearly double their estimates! A reliable way to avoid both planning fallacy and perfectionism is to cut your goal in half. This will greatly reduce the chance of quitting due to being overwhelmed or biting off more than you can chew.
Find your true motivation.
One of the biggest lies related to perfectionism is that perfection is attainable if we follow certain rules. These rules vary from person to person, and can make it impossible for people to finish their projects. For example, we may become discouraged if positive feedback or good results may not seem to come quickly enough, causing us to prematurely abandon a project as a failure. Do not fall into the trap! A concert pianist is not born overnight. Remember your motivation and keep progressing towards your goal.
Actionable advice.
Celebrate your imperfect process by using real data. Perfectionism constantly tells us that we are failing. Reduce pressure as you progress towards your goal by giving yourself permission to not excels at everything. Combat perfectionism by measuring actual progress, instead of just relying on that value voice of doubt in your head. Measure your actually success. What was your mark on your last exam? How did it compare to the last test? Use really life progress to measure your achievements. Remember that progress outshines perfectionism every time!
