Breaking Through Perfectionism: A Journey Toward Progress

I woke up this morning later than I wanted to, and it all started because my phone's ringer was turned way down. I kept hearing my ringtone in my dreams, but I didn’t realize it was real until much later. By the time I checked the time, I had snoozed the alarm a few times, and I was already behind. This got me thinking about how, despite our best intentions, sometimes we just don't get it “right” the first time around.

This is something I’ve seen happen over and over again, especially when perfectionism is involved. As a perfectionist, I’m constantly battling the feeling that I need to have everything just right. But here’s the thing—I know that perfection isn’t real. It’s an ideal, a concept we see in others and often hold ourselves to. We look at the finished products of others—whether that’s a work of art, a book, or even a meal—and forget about the struggles they faced along the way.

“I struggle to access flow states, get bogged down in obsessive research, planning and redrafting, and am much more analytical and perfectionist. My progress is slow and painstaking, like slogging through miles of mud” (Campbell, 2019, p. 71).

The Problem of Focusing on the Finished Product

Think about the great artists like Picasso or Van Gogh. We admire their work today, but we rarely think about all the bumps and hurdles they faced on their journey. The same goes for writers like Stephen King, JK Rowling, and Hemingway. Their writing wasn’t flawless from the start—it was a process of trial and error. But we get so fixated on the finished product that we forget about the journey.

Whether you’re creating music, crafting a dish, or making a piece of art, there’s always a messy, imperfect process behind it. We can edit and refine, and through trial and error, we eventually get to something that works. But it’s never a straight line from idea to finished product.

Other factors may come into play, too. Researchers “found that the relationship between multidimensional perfectionism and creative thinking was affected by self-esteem” (Chou et al., 2019, p. 195). Can we bolster self-esteem in order to see beyond the product’s inherent flaws?

True, there are benefits of knowing our abilities as artists/makers/creatives to create "good" products. “It may be the case that perfectionists’ real world problem solving efforts tend to be biased toward quality because they fear that original ideas may deteriorate the practicality or efficiency of solutions) Wigert et al., 2012, p. 778). After all, will the public be willing to put down their hard-earned dollars for something that’s just "not good"? But, maybe the maker is not the best judge of "goodness."

Embracing Imperfection

The concept of imperfection applies to my own journey, too. I’ve been working hard to produce more YouTube videos and share my thoughts and knowledge of creativity with the world. And guess what? Perfectionism has been one of my biggest roadblocks. The fear of not getting it “just right” has been stopping me from moving forward. It’s easy to get caught up in comparing myself to others—especially to people like Mr. Beast and Gary Vee, who are masters at video production with high-energy editing and bombastic delivery. But I’ve realized that I’m not Jimmy Donaldson or Gary Vaynerchuk, and I don’t want to be. They're fantastic, but I have my own voice and my own approach to share.

The Real Challenge

Last Saturday, I had a conversation with my mentor, EG, who has been guiding me through this journey of creating more content. I told her about the beautiful studio setup I’ve created. The walls are a gorgeous shade of green, and I’ve decorated with a bookcase, plants, and Doctor Who memorabilia. I had so many ideas, but something was still holding me back: I couldn’t shake the need for everything to be perfect before I began.

For weeks, I was caught up in this idea of creating the “perfect” outfit—one that represented my creativity. I wanted to design my own fabric, create a pattern, and make an outfit that would reflect my identity. But the process took time, and I kept putting it off because it wasn’t “perfect” yet. The truth is, the outfit is finished now, and while it may not be exactly what I imagined, it’s still a step forward. I can always improve and refine it later, but waiting for perfection would have meant never moving at all.

Taking Baby Steps

EG pointed out something crucial: there’s something psychological I need to understand first before I can fully embrace the work I’m doing. And while I’m not sure I’m ready to unpack all of it just yet, I know that I can start by taking small steps. Just one small step.

That’s where I am right now—choosing to take that first step. For me, it’s recording a raw, unedited video. It may not be perfect, but it’s a start. It’s a step toward progress, not perfection. And that’s what matters.

Perfectionism Essential Reads

Trapped by Perfection

Beyond Perfectionism: How to Build Sustainable Success

Your Perfectly Imperfect Journey

If you’re struggling with perfectionism, I want you to know you’re not alone. We all have that sense of what “perfect” looks like, but the key is breaking it down into small, manageable tasks. Honor your ideal, but then break it down into the smallest, most doable step. Map it out. Print it out. Post it somewhere that you can see it regularly. And then, take that first baby step.

For me, this morning’s baby step was hitting “record” on a video. For you, it might be something small like writing the first sentence of your novel or making the first sketch of your artwork. Whatever it is, start where you are.

Perfectionism will always try to hold us back, but by embracing imperfection and taking small steps, we can keep moving forward. And that’s how we make real progress.