For years, I was a poster child for perfectionism. “If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well” was my mantra. I would often find myself burning the midnight oil, convinced that a last-minute burst of inspiration would transform (what I thought was) a mediocre piece of work into a masterpiece. This approach, however, was often a recipe for stress and suboptimal results.
Looking back, I realize that this perfectionist mindset was hindering my progress, not propelling it. It was a vicious cycle: the fear of failure led to procrastination, which in turn led to increased stress and lower quality work.
It is essential to shift our mindset from perfectionism to progress. The key is to focus on consistent improvement rather than striving for unattainable perfection. By embracing an iterative approach, you can achieve remarkable results without compromising quality. Whether you are new in your career, a leader, an individual contributor, or an executive, you have a crucial role to play in fostering a progress-oriented culture. Instead of demanding perfection, we should celebrate incremental improvements. Here are five ways to embrace progress over perfection: