Lessons Learned from Perfectionism

Several years back, I took up shooting as a sport. To enter competitions, one had to be the best among peers. However, the more I strived for excellence, the worse my performance became. I envied those who appeared to excel effortlessly, and the stress of training only added to my frustration.

Reflecting on that time, I wish I had shifted my focus. Instead of fixating on outcomes, I should have prioritized simply showing up and honing my skills. The results were secondary. Perhaps this approach would have allowed me to enjoy the process more, ultimately leading to improved performance.

Lesson One: There’s beauty in letting go and accepting imperfection. Why is art, often seen as flawed, valued so highly? My mother might glance at Yayoi Kusama’s dots and say, “I could do that,” but she misses the essence.

Art is about the journey, not merely the finished piece. While anyone can replicate another’s work with enough practice, not everyone can originate it. This creation process involves:

• Experience
• Growth
• Self-reflection
• Emotional exploration

This is why no two pieces of art are identical. So, striving for a flawless outcome on the first attempt is futile. Firstly, perfection is unattainable. Secondly, one must evolve to create at a higher level.

Lesson Two: If this doesn’t resonate, consider the words of perfectionism researcher Thomas Curran: “Perfectionism has negligible to non-existent correlations with performance.”

Shifting Towards Productivity

So, how can we embrace productivity over perfection? I’d like to share a metaphor that reshaped my perspective.

We need to recognize that success stories often appear more polished than they truly are. For instance, “Jim encountered challenges A, B, and C, and overcame them with solutions X, Y, and Z. That’s how he found success.”

The reality? These narratives are often constructed in retrospect. No one possesses such clarity before achieving their goals.

Visualize climbing a mountain. You might not know the precise route to the peak. You’ll navigate detours to circumvent obstacles, and plans may go awry. Once you reach the summit, it’s easy to look back and claim, “That’s the path I took.” But during the ascent, the way forward remains obscured.

We craft our stories as we progress. This is the true beauty of the climb, of creating art, and of living—figuring it all out as we go.

We often overlook this reality.

So, let this serve as a gentle reminder to release the pursuit of perfection. Embrace the uncertainty of the moment. Focus on actions rather than outcomes, trusting that your future self will weave the narrative.

What actions will you prioritize instead of worrying about results?

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This insightful video titled "Why You Need to Stop Chasing Perfection AND START LIVING" by John R. Miles explores how the quest for perfection can hinder our lives and offers practical advice for embracing a more fulfilling existence.

In the video "PERFECTIONISM is Destroying Your PRODUCTIVITY!" from The Mindset Mentor Podcast, the discussion centers on how perfectionistic tendencies can negatively impact our productivity and provides tips for overcoming these barriers.