5 ways to overcome perfectionism.

A thread...

1. Define "perfect" without a reference to results.

What does it mean to make something “perfect?”

Most perfectionists struggle to define the term or define it based on outcomes and metrics that will never be in their control.

For example, what does it mean to write a “perfect” blog post?

Does it mean it gets read by lots of people?

That it attracts lots of newsletter subscribers or sales?

That someone tells you they like it?

Those may be legitimate success metrics, but they’re not indicators of “perfection” in the creative process.

Take a moment to define what perfect means to you in the context of what’s in your control and you’ll discover your “imperfect” work is closer to perfect than you think.

2. Share a work in progress.

Practice makes imperfect.

A great way to break your perfectionist instincts is to publish and share things that are clearly not perfect.

Whether on social media, with friends, or colleagues, force yourself to share a work in progress.

Calling it a work in progress may help you get over the hump of showing people something you believe isn’t perfect, and in the process you’ll realize others don’t think it’s nearly as rough as you do.

This exercise will reveal your standards are likely higher than those of your audience and that your quest for perfection is as much about insecurity as it is the quality of your work.

The Foo Fighters have a mantra to prevent themselves from the dangers of perfectionism when recording new music:

“If it gets any better, it’s going to get worse.”

3. Set a failure or rejection goal.

The root of perfectionism is often a fear of failure and rejection.

That’s understandable because everyone has those fears on some level.

Here’s a “fun” way to stare down those fears...

Challenge yourself to fail or get rejected a certain number of times in a given day or week and watch what happens.

Once you shift your mindset from trying to avoid failure to actively pursuing it, your perfectionism will start to recede.

A good place to start is by trying @noahkagan’s coffee challenge, which involves asking for a 10% discount when you order your coffee just to see what happens and get more comfortable with rejection.

4. Check out the early work of someone you admire.

You know that talented person you think does everything perfect?

They weren’t always that way.

Look up their early work and see how far they’ve come.

You’ll feel a lot less pressure for everything you make to be perfect.

5. Make something in a set time limit.

One of the easiest ways to overcome perfectionism is to give yourself a deadline…and stick to it.

As SNL producer Lorne Michaels said, “The show doesn’t go on because it’s ready — it goes on because it’s 11:30.”

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