Let’s be honest, being perfect isn’t worth your time.
The extra time that you could take to make something perfect is most likely not going to make much of a difference. If this is you, then you spend time doing the extra work to make others happy, avoid criticism, and because you are trying to meet someone’s unrealistic expectations.
What if I gave you a permission slip on the project you are working on and said just do what is absolutely needed to accomplish the goal without all the extras? At a minimum, have the conversation to see if the extra work is really necessary. Let the need to be perfect go and move on to the next set of work. Most of the time no one is expecting perfection from us, but we create a story that is necessary.
I have come to love taking imperfect actions. It wasn’t something that came naturally to me in the beginning, but now I see the benefit. I try something and if it works great, and if it doesn’t, then I try something else. It is so empowering to try things and experiment vs. having to get it all right. Now I implement imperfect actions each day without the worry of what anyone else thinks. It is incredibly freeing to do things without any fear.
Perfectionism and fear will keep you from getting things done, showing others what you can do, and focusing on what is more valuable if you let it.
Start today and try something different that pushes you out of your comfort zone. Take small imperfect actions to help you move faster. It’s time to let go of your fears and say yes to getting things done to create a bigger impact.