Why Perfection is the Enemy of Progress

You’ve probably heard it before: Progress over perfection.

But in practice? Perfection is sneaky. It shows up as procrastination, waiting for the “right time,” or believing that unless you can do it perfectly, it’s not worth doing at all.

Perfection convinces you that success is an all-or-nothing deal. But the truth? Success is built on messy, imperfect action.

If perfection is holding you back, try this:

• Ask yourself: What would a “B+” effort look like right now? Then do that.

• Give yourself permission to “start small” instead of “starting perfectly.”

• Replace all or nothing with something is better than nothing.

Perfection is not the path to progress—it’s the trap that keeps you stuck. You don’t need perfect actions to create a better life. You just need to take one small step.