Nothing's perfect

Practice makes progress

POSSIBLY CONTROVERSIAL OPINION ALERT: Perfection is a myth.

Yeah, I said what I said, and here’s why:

There’s no such thing as perfect.

Even if you arrive at a point where you think things are perfect, there’s always room for improvement.

Consider the people you admire, whether they’re professional athletes, business leaders, or the wisest scholars.

Their common thread?

They understand that being the greatest is not a destination; it’s a journey. And one that they willingly travel daily.

They put in the reps.

Again and again.

They hone their craft, which sometimes means making mistakes.

But they don’t let the notion of “perfect” dissuade them or even be their primary driver.

Instead, for them, practice doesn’t make perfect; it makes progress.

And *that’s* what matters most.

In fact, eschewing perfection in favor of career progress might be the secret to their success.

Here are three ways to follow their lead and seek progress, not perfection:

1. Acknowledge that perfectionism is all about fear

The hard truth: It will never be the “perfect” time. When you tell yourself circumstances need to be perfect before you take action, or when you say you’ll do X when Y happens, you give up your power to external forces you can’t control.

This behavior is rooted in fear, a powerful emotion that often masquerades as a cloak of protection, keeping us from doing things that may cause us harm. But sometimes, the real damage comes from the inaction that fear enables.

2. Reframe failure as an opportunity to learn

A failure is only a mistake if you fail to learn.

To achieve personal and professional development, you must take risks—even if that means you might fail. By adopting a growth mindset, you view every interaction, project, and, yes, failure as a chance to get better. And by reframing failure as an opportunity to learn and an ingredient of success—rather than a negative alternative—you’ll adjust your mindset to a more positive one where you see failure as a necessity.

3. Just do it

One surefire way to combat perfectionism—and grow your career—is to take action.

Newton’s first law of motion states that an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion. The same is true for your career. When you use awareness to make action an intentional habit, you train yourself to continue to take action. Over time, those small behavioral changes creatively shake things up and breathe new life into old methods and routines.

Remember, if you want something you’ve never had, you have to do something you’ve never done. 

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An essential ingredient of progress is consistently showing up.

Not surprisingly, it’s also what the best leaders do, especially when things get tough.

And in my latest Forbes article,* I share four ways you can be like them to consistently show up—for your teams, customers, and peers—in a genuine, positive, and observable way.

Shine on,

Amy

P.S. When I’m not writing this newsletter or making progress, I’m a social media ghostwriter. (Yep, that’s a thing). I help founders, entrepreneurs, and CXOs craft their stories to communicate and connect better by magnifying their reach and impact. (Think personal branding and thought leadership.) Learn more here.

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*This 241st article marks the start of my fifth year as a Forbes contributor! For the last four years, I’ve consistently written five articles per month. If long ago you’d told me I’d write a regular Forbes column and be entering a half-decade of doing so, I’d probably laugh it off as impossible. But I guess you could say that in my writing journey, practice makes progress. 😉 Check out all my Forbes articles and follow me here.