Progress is more Important than Perfection

This simple phrase caught my attention when I saw a post from Simon Sinek a few days back on LinkedIn. Since then I kept on asking one question to myself…“is it?”

I have a knack of penning down my thoughts and here is my take on what is more important progress or perfection.

For a long time, I was a “perfectionist” or that is what I used to consider myself to be. I remember putting my heart and soul on every project, research paper of my university life. One summer semester, I took five courses and put myself into a situation where I had to submit four research papers on the same day. It was the ultimate D-day for a student who was trying hard to keep herself sane and maintain her perfect CGPA (4 out of 4 to be precise and yes that student was none but me). To make every detail:minor to major perfect, I was putting everything at stake. Continuous checking, cross-checking, rechecking and what not! Three days prior to the D-day I had a nervous breakdown as in pursuit of perfectionism, I was oblivious to the fact that I need to complete and submit all four research papers on time also. My mother found me panicking and crying like a maniac as I was so scared thinking that I would lose my perfect 4 out of 4.

That day my mother shared one wisdom and I am trying to adapt and implement it since then and till now. She said, “If you are waiting for everything to be right or perfect, you will never get anything done. So what is more important to you? To give your best shot and get things done or to put everything at stake and not being done?” Her question made me realize that of course, I want the result for any undertaking to be the best of the best but striving for perfection will only delay completion. I took a deep breath and resumed my work. Rather than getting overwhelmed by my inner perfectionista, I gave my best without burning myself out. I completed all the papers on time and submitted them.

And guess what?

Well...what did you guess? That I scored my perfect 4?

No. I did not. 

Did it hurt? Did I doubt myself and question my efforts?

Yes.

Then I again sought wisdom from my mother. She said, “The real tool for achieving things has nothing to do with being a perfectionist. You did not score a perfect 4 but tell me if you were still pursuing perfection, would it be possible for you to submit your papers on time? What is better, the one A minus (A-) that your best shot caused you or not being able to give your best shot that perfectionism might have caused you?” Mothers, they just know the best.

There is no such thing as perfect. Even a self proclaimed perfectionist would think something could have been done better at some point. So one should strive for progress, not perfection. Some might perceive this as an exaggerated line, but it is true. At some point in our lives, we find ourselves running after something that is not even real. In pursuit of that we forget to cherish our own progress and achievements, no matter how big or small. Perfection is utopia. No one really can reach that. 

What happens if we do not try to reach perfection? What if we change our perspectives and choose to focus on our progress?

Progress is the root of self-confidence. The push we need to keep on trying. So, how can we distance ourselves from the idea of perfection?

Focus on your skills:

Perfectionism is a trap that we get caught up in when we do not understand our real motivations and that does not allow us to focus on the skills we have and to utilize them. To be able to make progress, one needs to focus on his skills that will fuel his goals. 

Do not let failures scare you:

Strive hard to achieve your goals. At some point in your journey, you might fail. Do not let those failures scare you, and stop you from reaching your goals. If you want to be productive, learn to embrace failures first. When you let failures scare you, you are preventing yourself from being productive and making progress. It is impossible to have a perfect journey. If failures knock you down, it is okay. Just get up each time you fall. Keep on trying, keep on moving.

Strive for excellence with Passion:

If you strive towards your goals with an open mind and passion, you will discover that you will naturally set high standards. High standards create strong motivation and a sense of vision. If you are pursuing perfection, what comes next to that? In that case you really have nowhere to go. On the other hand, when you are always making improvement or progress, you are always moving ahead which lets you see your accomplishments real time, rather than waiting for some far-off time when perfection might be achieved.

Set your goal, enjoy the journey:

Goals represent the perfect idea of an outcome, so it is obvious when we set out a goal, we create a static idea of the end result. Create flexible goals that allow for changes, make room for new interests and initiatives. Not being committed to only one outcome or goal is reassuring and empowering. We must allow flexible thinking that helps us to make right decisions. Learn from the results and move on.

Struggle is a part of progress:

Mistakes and struggles are part of the journey. Without them we cannot gain wisdom. It is not possible to avoid the challenges and struggles, and they are parts of our progress. It is the mistakes we commit, the struggles we face, and the lessons we learn that make us wiser, smarter and more resilient.

If you are only aiming for perfection, you will have a long wait. The utopian concept of perfection might leave you with nothing, undone. But with continuous learning, progress will be more achievable and in my opinion is more preferable.