The stupidity of perfection

Lots and lots and lots of things prevent people from being creative, making things, and chasing their dreams, but of all the barriers holding us back (artificial, self-imposed, and genuine), I think this one – the foolish pursuit of perfection – is the most prevalent and most damaging.

The pursuit of perfection, the attachment of perfection to ego, the concern about what others might think about our failure to achieve perfection, and our belief that perfection is necessary are all disastrous to a happy, productive life.

The pursuit of perfection leads to stagnation and regret. For many people, pursuing perfection prevents them from taking a single step forward.

The sooner you can accept that perfection is a fool’s errand, people never care nearly as much as you think, and that imperfect, forward momentum is critical to a well-lived life, the sooner you will make your dreams come true.

It’s a hard lesson for many, but I suspect it’s also one of the most important lessons.

Make terrible stuff because terrible stuff is so much better than no stuff.