Introduction

‘Done is better than perfect’ means ‘it is more important to finish something than to keep waiting for it to be perfect.’ Many people spend too much time trying to make things perfect and end up not doing anything at all. Chasing perfection can waste time and energy. It can lead to stress, self-doubt and missed opportunities. On the other hand, getting things done helps you to take the next step, improve with experience and move closer to your goals.

Perfection is a myth. there is nothing like perfection. This isn’t a quote but my own life’s experience. Somehow, I learned to tackle it on my own. There are various reasons by which you will unknowingly waste your time and energy behind making things perfect which doesn’t even matter to anyone. There are various reasons behind this which I will discuss further. 

Let’s understand the ‘Loop of perfection’-Few years ago, I got stuck in the ‘loop of perfection’ (the reason I called it as a loop because you- start something, trying to make it perfect, overthinks, not feels good enough and going back to fix again and this thing keeps repeating itself and the more you do it, the more you stuck into it.) I got lucky that I understood it so early and got out of it. Although I saw many peoples who lost years behind the so-called perfection and never came out of it.

When I got to know that I am trapped in the perfection loop? 2 years ago, I purchased a diary, a pretty expensive one. Thinking that I will write something extraordinary from my life’s experiences. Days-weeks-months have passed but I wasn’t able to write a single word. The reason- perfection. I was waiting for that perfect moment will come and I will write something out of this world but unfortunately, the diary is still blank. That day I learned a very valuable lesson, while waiting for perfection I never started writing. I realized-understood-learned and moved forward.

What are the causes and the cure for this?

Now, I will tell you how I tackled this and how you can also. First, we will discuss the causes of it.

• Fear of failure- people chase perfection because they are afraid of making mistakes and being judged. They believe anything less than perfect means failure.
• High expectations- when someone sets unrealistic standards for themselves and for meeting those dreamy unrealistic expectations. They don’t want any kind of imperfection and ended up trapping into the perfection loop.
• Procrastination- sometimes, perfection is an excuse to delay things. Unknowingly our mind tricks us to procrastinate in the name of perfection. (Lazy ones are more likely to trap in

perfection loop).

Perfection-The Cure

After learning about the causes, let’s move towards the cure.

• Accept good enough- Remind yourself that ‘done is better than perfect.’ Not everything needs to be flawless, sometimes good is more than enough.
• Set deadlines- don’t keep redoing things. Set time for everything. Tell your mind that no matter what happens I have to complete this task in the given time limit only. Set deadlines. Follow it.
• Stop comparing- don’t compare your way of doing things with others. Everyone is on a different journey. What looks perfect from outside may have flaws from inside. Focus on your path only.
• Set realistic goals- know your limits, know your capabilities, know your strengths/weakness. Break big tasks into small achievable steps.

Examples where imperfection leads to success-

Today we see lots of apps and technology around us which is near to perfect to all human needs. But are they all perfect from the starting as they are now? Obviously not. WhatsApp launched with basic features (only massaging), Gmail was in beta for 5 yrs after launch, Instagram’s first version was having only photo filters and stories. Even the Google is also having so many failed projects. Only few of them are successful that we all know today.

So, the thing is that all these successful startups don’t have perfect start, then why we are looking for perfection in everything. Isn’t it strange and funny at the same time!...

Conclusion

You cannot write your story. No one can. It’s not in our hands to make our life as perfect as we want. Things happen by their own way. only we can do is, to do everything with our 100%. With all of our heart. In the end, progress matters more than perfection.

Every step you take, no matter how small or imperfect, brings you closer to your goals. Waiting for things to be perfect only delays your success. So, keep moving, keep doing- because taking action is the real key to growth. And always remember ‘Done is always better than perfect.’