Let’s talk about why perfect is the enemy of good, and what I mean by that. I didn’t come up with that phrase, by the way. But I love it.
All too many times, I see people who are trying to create the life they want, struggle over decisions. Because they fear that the result won’t be what they want it to be. They don’t start that business, because they could fail. Or they don’t move to a new city, because they don’t know anyone there. Sometimes it’s that they don’t focus on their health and make the decision to lose weight or exercise. Because the end result they’re hoping for seems too far off in the distance.
“Perfect is the Enemy of Good” is Self-Sabotage
It’s a form of self-sabotage, and it’s incredibly common. I’m guilty, and I don’t actually know anyone who hasn’t done this at some point in their lives. So how can you defy this all too common situation where perfect is the enemy of good? Let me tell you a story…
How to Overcome It
A couple of years ago, I wanted to undertake a home improvement project and add crown molding to our kitchen cabinets. Candidly, I’m pretty handy. But this was a project I’d never done, and always wanted to try because it seemed challenging. And I like to take on challenges. You’re here, so I’m guessing you might also.
As I was researching the project on the internet, I came across a Reddit forum where a very wise person said this:
“I’ve been a carpenter for 25 years. Here’s the secret. Do your best, and caulk the rest.” ~ Anonymous Reddit Poster
Just in case you don’t know what caulk is: it’s the filler that people use to seal gaps and cover nail holes (among other things). I once flipped a house, and right after the contractor had installed the new molding throughout the entire place I went to see it. I walked in and thought, oh man this looks terrible! He assured me that it was excellent work and I’d love it when he was done. And, he was right. Once he caulked everything and painted it, it looked perfect. I’ll put an image to show what I mean.
I love that quote so much. It’s an excellent reminder that things don’t have to be or even look perfect. Life doesn’t work that way. Sometimes the best lessons come from mistakes. And sometimes, things which appear to be errors or goofs actually turn out to be even better than we imagined.
A Great Mantra to Use to Fight “Perfect Is the Enemy of Good”
I had a business coach years ago who gave me this mantra to use when I felt like things were off course. I’ve used it regularly ever since then.
“Regardless of all appearances, everything is exactly how it should be, and something great is about to happen.”
If I had been trying to make things perfect when doing my renovation project, I’d have stopped early on and decided to forget it, because it would have looked incomplete, ugly, disappointing. But I didn’t, and at the end, it turned out amazing. Better than I even hoped for at the beginning.
Now I know that’s a simple example with fairly limited consequences if it had gone poorly, but I still think you can get the point of why perfect is the enemy of good. If I had gone into my marriage with the idea that it had to be perfect, I wouldn’t have, and then I’d have missed out on one of the greatest parts of my entire life.
Fear would have stolen all the joy that has come from it. If I had not had my “enough moment” and decided to commit to doing whatever it took to turn my life around because it just had to be perfect, I’d still be stuck in that miserable place I was when I had it.
You know I could come up with more than a dozen examples here of times when I could have let perfect stop me from trying. Or even times when it did stop me from trying (yes, there were many). But I don’t want to write a 4,000-page blog post.
Conclusion
I just want you to see that more times than not, it’s the right move to just do it. Don’t overthink it. Don’t let fear of imperfections stop you. Do your best, and caulk the rest.
And if there’s any way I can support or help you in taking action and not letting perfection stand in your way, please share or contact me. I mean it.