perfectionism & procrastination

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  • Isaac Newton—the guy who basically invented modern science—sat on one of the biggest discoveries ever: calculus. He cracked the code of motion and change, a game-changer that shaped our world. But here’s the kicker: he didn’t share it for decades. Why? Perfectionism. Newton was terrified of criticism, especially after clashing with rivals like Robert Hooke. While his notes collected dust, another genius, Gottfried Leibniz, was cooking up calculus across Europe. When Newton finally published, it sparked a nasty fight over who got there first.
  • Imagine if he’d waited just a bit longer—his name might’ve been a footnote, not a legend. Perfectionism sounds noble, but it’s a trap that leads to procrastination, missed opportunities and regret. So, what are you holding back, waiting for that “perfect moment” that might never come? Let’s talk about how to escape this trap before history passes you by.
  • Perfectionsism Trap
  • Perfectionism gets a gold star in job interviews, right? “Oh, my biggest flaw? I just care too much about doing things perfectly.” Sounds great—until you realize it’s not a strength; it’s a shackle. How many times have you delayed something because it wasn’t “just right”? Or spent hours tweaking a project until you’re burned out? Maybe you’ve got a dream you haven’t even started because the fear of it not being flawless stops you cold.
  • Here’s the truth: perfectionism isn’t about high standards—it’s a trap. It’s not just about nailing tasks; it’s about trying to perfect our imperfect selves, which is flat-out impossible. It fuels anxiety, procrastination, and regret. Today, we’re diving into what perfectionism really is, why it’s holding you back, and how to kick it to the curb. Because done beats perfect every time. Let’s go.
  • What is Perfectionism?
  • We often think of perfectionism as a noble pursuit—striving for excellence, pushing ourselves to do better. But here’s the truth: perfectionism is not the same as striving to be your best. It’s not about healthy achievement or growth. It’s about something much deeper and often much subtler.
  • Perfectionism is the belief that if we can live perfectly, look perfect, and act perfectly, we can shield ourselves from blame, judgment, and shame. But instead of protecting us, it weighs us down. Brené Brown describes it as a twenty-ton shield— that we lug around, believing it will keep us safe, when in reality, it’s the very thing preventing us from taking flight.
  • It often starts early—maybe love or approval hinged on straight A’s, flawless behavior, or making everyone happy. Over time, you buy into a lie: I’m only as good as what I achieve and how well I pull it off. Healthy striving asks, “How can I grow?” Perfectionism frets, “What will they think?” It’s not ambition—it’s fear dressed up as productivity. The message becomes: Please. Perform. Perfect.
  • But here’s the distinction that changes everything: Healthy striving is self-focused —”How can I improve?” Perfectionism is other-focused —”What will they think?”Perfectionism isn’t just a mindset—it’s a survival strategy. For some, particularly those with a history of trauma, perfectionism becomes a way to manage anxiety, maintain control, and earn approval. It feels like the only way to avoid criticism. But over time, it becomes exhausting, unsustainable, and ultimately self-defeating.
  • “Here’s the worst part—perfectionists don’t even enjoy their wins. Every time they succeed, they just shift their standards, finding a new, ‘better’ group to compare themselves to. It’s like running a marathon where the finish line keeps moving.”
  • We live in a world that glorifies achievement, pressuring us to excel in every area. Perfectionism often stems from fear of judgment—rooted in childhood experiences with overly critical or demanding parents. Low self-esteem drives individuals to seek flawlessness as proof of worth. Dysfunctional beliefs, like rigid “shoulds” and black-and-white thinking, further fuel perfectionism, making satisfaction elusive. Constant comparison intensifies this struggle; social media bombards us daily with idealized images, amplifying our insecurities. Ironically, perfectionism frequently leads to procrastination, as the fear of failing to meet unrealistic standards paralyzes action. Recognizing these patterns can help free us from their grip.
  • Recognizing Perfectionism and Its Consequences
  • Ever rewritten an email so many times that by the time you send it, it’s irrelevant? Or spent hours researching the “perfect” workout instead of just exercising? That’s perfectionism in disguise.
  • Perfectionism often masquerades as productivity, but instead of pushing you forward, it holds you back. Here’s how to spot it:
    • Sign #1 – All-or-Nothing Thinking
      • If you can’t do it perfectly, why bother? But real progress happens in the messy, “good enough” zone—not in extremes.
    • Sign #2 – Procrastination & Inaction
      • Spending more time planning than doing? Overpreparation feels productive, but it’s just procrastination in disguise. Done is always better than perfect.
    • Sign #3 – Constant Comparison
      • You feel good—until you see someone else doing it “better.” But if your standards keep shifting, you’ll never feel satisfied.
  • Leonardo da Vinci was a genius, a visionary, and… a master procrastinator. So much so that he apologized to God and his fellow man on his deathbed for leaving so much undone.
  • The man who painted The Last Supper and Mona Lisa—arguably the most famous painting in history—also left behind thousands of unfinished projects. His notebooks are filled with half-completed inventions, fragmented ideas, and abandoned masterpieces. The bronze horse statue he promised the Duke of Milan? Never finished. His grand plans for flying machines? Sketches, but no working model. Even the Mona Lisa—which he carried with him for 16 years—was still being refined when he died.
  • Da Vinci was a perfectionist to the extreme. He would spend hours dissecting cadavers to perfect his anatomy studies, yet he struggled to complete commissions because he was constantly searching for flawless execution. One of his assistants once wrote, “He starts projects with such enthusiasm but never finishes them.” Sound familiar?
  • Perfectionism doesn’t make you better—it makes you stuck. So, what’s one thing you’re waiting to start until the “perfect” time?
  • The Hidden Cost of Perfectionism
    • Burnout Isn’t an Achievement
      • Perfectionists don’t just struggle with stress—they live in it. Insomnia, headaches, chronic fatigue. Why? Because to them, rest feels like failure. But here’s the truth: burnout doesn’t mean you worked hard—it means you worked unsustainably.
    • Overthinking = Analysis Paralysis
      • Overthinking is often just a way of avoiding risk. If you’re stuck, do something. Anything.
      • Perfectionists obsess over every detail, terrified of making mistakes. Ironically, this guarantees failure—because if you never start, you never succeed.
    • Perfectionism = Procrastination
      • The fear of not doing something perfectly can lead to total inaction. You end up escaping into distractions, over-planning, or binging “productivity porn” instead of actually making progress.
    • Do the Thing
      • “Preparing to do the thing isn’t doing the thing.
      • Scheduling time to do the thing isn’t doing the thing.
      • Making a to-do list for the thing isn’t doing the thing.
      • Telling people you’re going to do the thing isn’t doing the thing.
      • Messaging friends who may or may not be doing the thing isn’t doing the thing.
      • Writing a banger tweet about how you’re going to do the thing isn’t doing the thing.
      • Hating on yourself for not doing the thing isn’t doing the thing. Hating on other people who have done the thing isn’t doing the thing. Hating on the obstacles in the way of doing the thing isn’t doing the thing.
      • Fantasising about all of the adoration you’ll receive once you do the thing isn’t doing the thing.
      • Reading about how to do the thing isn’t doing the thing. Reading about how other people did the thing isn’t doing the thing. Reading this essay isn’t doing the thing.
      • The only thing that is doing the thing is doing the thing.” – Strangest Loop
    • So, what’s one thing you’re overthinking instead of just doing?
  • Perfection is a myth—it doesn’t exist. Utopia, the “perfect place,” literally means “nowhere.” Chasing perfection leads to frustration because there’s always a tradeoff. Excellence? That’s real. Progress? That’s achievable. As Michael J. Fox said, “Perfection is God’s business.” So drop the obsession with “best” and embrace what’s real—imperfections and all. The goal isn’t to arrive at some flawless ideal, but to keep moving forward.
  • Perfection was never about flawlessness. The Greek word teleios meant whole, mature, complete—not without errors. Aristotle saw perfection as reaching full potential, not eliminating mistakes. Medieval scholars believed true perfection came from fulfilling a purpose, not avoiding failure. But over time, the meaning got distorted. The 20th century turned perfection into precision—IQ scores, productivity metrics, and flawless personal brands. Then came the self-improvement and maximizing zeitgeist of the last several decades—hacking, optimizing, squeezing the most out of every moment. Instead of growth, the focus shifted to relentless self-optimization, turning even personal development into a race with no finish line. Ironically, this obsession with perfection often sabotages creativity, fueling anxiety, procrastination, and burnout.
  • Realizing I’ll never be the perfect version of myself is freeing. Instead of chasing an impossible ideal, I can focus on progress. Knowing I’m always moving forward—not trying to “arrive”—gives me permission to start.
  • Start Before You’re Ready – Because You Never Will Be
    • Zig Ziglar said it best: “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” Waiting to feel “ready”? Spoiler: you never will. Action breeds clarity—waiting just breeds excuses.
    • Start Ugly
    • Nobody cares what you look like at the beginning. You have to repeatedly be bad before you can be good. Ali Abdaal, MrBeast, and every successful creator or entrepreneur have the same advice: Start now, fail fast, improve as you go.
    • 🎣 The Fishing Story
    • Two guys decide to become fishermen.
      • Guy A spends months researching, buying the best boat, and getting top-tier gear before even casting a line.
      • Guy B grabs a cheap rod and just starts fishing. He catches nothing at first, but he learns, adapts, and improves.By the time Guy A finally starts, Guy B has already figured it out—and fished out the lake.
    • 👉 Lesson: Action beats preparation. Every. Time.
    • “Here’s a paradox: perfectionists chase quality but avoid quantity. Yet, quantity leads to quality. The best creators, athletes, and innovators don’t get it perfect on the first try—they iterate. Da Vinci, Beethoven, even Pixar—every masterpiece you see is the result of hundreds of imperfect drafts.”
    • Fail Fast, Adjust Faster
    • 🚀 MrBeast’s Rule: “Make 100 videos. Improve something every time. On your 101st video, then we’ll talk.”
      • “I would say—just fail. A lot of people get stuck in analysis paralysis, spending months planning their first video. But if you’re just starting out, especially with zero viewers, your first video isn’t going to get views. Period. Your first ten videos won’t get views—I can say that with confidence.
      • So stop overthinking and start uploading. If you dream of being a YouTuber but haven’t posted yet, here’s what you need to do: make 100 videos. Improve something every time. Do that, and then on your 101st video, we can start talking about getting views.”
    • 💡 Instagram’s Pivot: Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger’s first app, Burbn, was a cluttered mess. Users only engaged with the photo-sharing feature, so they stripped everything else away. That stripped-down version? Instagram.
    • 💡 YouTube’s Origin: It started as a video-based dating site called Tune In Hook Up. Nobody cared. But they noticed people were uploading random videos. Instead of forcing the dating angle, they pivoted—and created YouTube.
    • Every failure isn’t a mistake—it’s data.
    • Perfection is Procrastination in Disguise
    • The fastest way to clarity is doing, not waiting.
      • Scientists test thousands of times before a breakthrough.
      • Entrepreneurs pivot when data tells them to.
      • The best creators cringe at their first attempts—but they keep going.💡 Reid Hoffman: “If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you launched too late.”
    • If you’re feeling imposter syndrome or telling yourself, “I’m not ready”—that’s actually the sign you’re in the right place. Start before you’re ready.
  • Done is Better Than Perfect – Because Perfect Never Comes
    • Most people wait for:
      • ✅ The perfect moment
      • ✅ The perfect plan
      • ✅ The perfect amount of information
    • They never start. That’s why execution beats perfection.
    • Jeff Bezos’ Rule Make most decisions with 70% of the information you wish you had.
    • Why? Because speed matters more than precision.
    • Lower the Bar and get a “W”
      • Want to get in shape? Show up and mess around at the gym.
      • Want to write? Start with a single paragraph.
      • Want to quit sugar? Cut back, don’t quit cold turkey.Small actions compound. One percent better every day beats waiting for the perfect plan.
    • 🎯 B+ Quality With A+ Consistency
    • Perfectionism tricks you into thinking you need to go all-in or not at all. Instead:
      • Make the first step ridiculously easy. Too small to fail.
      • Build momentum before optimizing.
      • Remember: The goal isn’t perfect execution, it’s consistent execution.💡 Perfection kills progress. Action creates results. Get it done. Then make it better.
  • Final Takeways
    • Joy is in the journey, not the destination.
    • Challenge black-and-white thinking. Stop “shoulding” on yourself. Life isn’t all-or-nothing.
    • Redefine success. Measure it by what you value, not by external approval.
    • Life is one big experiment. Bad days make good data. Everything is R&D.
    • Fail fast. Iterate faster. Start ugly. Adjust as you go.
    • Make things better, not perfect. Progress always beats paralysis.
    • Bias to action
    • Perfectionism isn’t the way—it gets in the way.
  • Fear fuels perfectionism. Courage fuels action. Most people never start because they think they need to get it perfect. But history proves otherwise. Success isn’t about avoiding failure—it’s about failing efficiently and learning fast.
  • Most people never start because they think they need to get it perfect. But history proves otherwise. Success isn’t about avoiding failure—it’s about failing efficiently and learning fast.
  • So stop waiting until your ready. You never will be. Commit to a relationship, write that book, start that business, start a new sport, take a class. It won’t be perfect—but that’s exactly how you’ll make it great.
  • “Done is always better than perfect. Or, as Salvador Dalí put it: ‘Have no fear of perfection—you’ll never reach it.’”