Getting Over Perfectionism: 4 Outside-the-Box Techniques

Perfectionism will hold you back. Do more by letting go.

Image created via Midjourney

I used to be a perfectionist.

I was the person who put in long hours at work, trying to do and be everything. I’d write and rewrite emails, poring over every word. And I’d obsess over every detail of a project, going far beyond client expectations and outshining my colleagues at every turn.

I’m not that way anymore. Perfectionism got in the way of doing things I enjoy — because I was spending so much time on work that, frankly, didn’t matter in the end.

Perfectionism can interfere with any career. Consider the consequences: any improvement in your work is based on feedback. Feedback comes from getting your work out into the wild. And in today’s world, if that feedback loop takes too long, other people will pass you by.

The internet is eager to offer advice for overcoming perfectionism (“just change your mindset!”). I believe that practical tips are better and here are a few to help you move away from perfectionism in small doses.

1) Embrace the sh*tty first draft

I’m a writer and I’ll never forget the words a wise editor once said to me: “It’s a blog post. Not the next Nobel prize…