Screw it, just do it.
Have you ever not started something because conditions weren’t “perfect”? If so, I’ve got news for you…they’ll NEVER be perfect.

YOUR WALLS ARE BARE
Two friends of mine, a married couple, came to visit me in Chicago when I first finished grad school. I lived alone at the time, and they were staying at my place. When they walked in, the wife immediately commented on how bare my apartment walls were, even though I had all these pictures and frames sitting in the corner of the living room.
I started to explain how I hadn’t decided where they were going to go, and how I wanted to update some of them with new pictures. And really, I had just moved so…
“Didn’t you move in like 5 months ago?” The wife’s eyes narrowed with the knowing, skeptical look of an older sister.
“Well…yeah…”
JUST START
She’d heard enough, and immediately sprung into action. As an interior decorating ninja, she didn’t even hesitate and started narrating her process:
You begin by first propping the frames against the wall where they might go. Once you get a few out, start to experiment — have the frames trade places, group some together, whatever adjustments come to mind…
She continued, and finished staging the frames by the end of the explanation. “Do you have a hammer and some nails?”
I started to remind her that I was going to swap out some of the old photos with new ones. She gave a quick shrug without stopping for even a second. “That’s fine. Just get these hung up, and you’ll know where to put the photos once you print them.”
That’s when I realized she’d even staged one of the frames with the stock black and white photo that came with it!
It was a frame I’d purchased, but never used. But as I stood there looking at it, I thought, “She’s right..that frame would look great right above the side table…”
In less than 15 minutes, we’d hung 5 frames hung up on the living room walls. I was surprised at how quickly we finished. But even more so, I was shocked at how something so small immediately transformed the feel of the entire room.
Now there were pictures of my family and friends smiling back at me. This was the first time my new apartment had felt like a home.
I surveyed our work, nodding slowly, clearly impressed. I looked over at the husband, and in a knowing tone, he said, “Dude, I don’t even ask any more. I’ve learned to just do what she says.”
PERFECTION PARALYSIS
I still struggle with wanting things to be perfect. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t strive for perfection. Perfection only becomes a problem when it paralyzes you from taking action.
Here are some things I say to myself to help overcome these moments of resistance:
1. “Screw it, just do it.”
Stop perseverating. What’s the worse that can happen? If you’ve thought about it, and you keep thinking about it, just do it. If it’s not irreversible, then do it. Shia LaBeouf it, and just do it.
2. “Done is better than Perfect.”
Yes, you want the final product to be at 100%, A+ quality. Yes, keep striving for perfect. But, sometimes just being able to say “done” is better than not starting it at all. Get it done and move on.
3. “Progress, not perfection.”
Anything great has gone through multiple drafts, iterations, and stages. If you feel the weight of perfection on your shoulders, try alleviating it by turning your attention to making progress. Just take one step towards your end goal.
Perfection only becomes a problem when it paralyzes you from taking action.
What’s something you’ve been putting off because you want it to be perfect? Has there been an instance when a family member, teacher or friend pushed you, and finally you just got it done? How’d it make you feel?
Leave me a response below and share your story!
ACTION ITEMS
- Think of something that you’ve been putting off because it wasn’t going to be perfect.
- Write it down, and set a deadline of when you’ll get it done.
- Screw it, just do it.
No more waiting for perfection. That’s just an excuse. Take action and make something happen. Small achievements can lead to big results.
If you feel like you have no time for your passion project — practicing your instrument, writing that book, or starting your business, you just need to schedule out specific blocks of time for yourself.
To help you, check out my free Weekly Practice Schedule Template. This is the tool I have all my students use, and the process I use myself.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed the content, hit the 👏 button below. Would mean a lot to me and it helps other people see the story.
Huei @hueiyuanpan
