Embracing Imperfection: How to Thrive as a Perfectionist

Have you ever been unable to finish a project because you just couldn't get it perfect? You're not alone. As perfectionists, we often struggle with the balance between excellence and completion. Let me share my journey and the strategies that helped me move forward.

The Perfectionist's Dilemma

You don't need things to be absolutely perfect to send them out into the world, but that doesn't mean your work shouldn't be proofread or checked for silly mistakes. In previous years, I really struggled with putting something down and saying, "That's it, that's my work." I would work on assignments and projects until the very last minute because I couldn't seem to match the vision in my head.

This was especially challenging with creative projects. Though I've never trained as an artist (maybe I should start painting and drawing on the side!), I've always been highly creative. I love art and different forms of craftwork. When I needed artwork for my projects, I found it difficult to strike the right balance between asking for too many revisions and being satisfied with what I received.

The Double-Edged Sword

This perfectionism is also why I've generally been successful in my endeavors. Perfectionism isn't a bad trait until you get nothing done because your work doesn't meet your standards.

For example, I spent years ruminating and making plans for a business idea I've had for over a decade. But I never started it because "it wasn't the right time" or "I didn't have enough experience" or "I hadn't finalized my branding ideas." While these considerations are important, it's equally important to just get started and put your idea out there.

Five Strategies for Perfectionists

1. Create Your Own Timeline

I give myself a personal deadline and plan around it. I estimate how much time I need to finish a project, usually based on how long similar projects have taken me in the past.

If I'm already given a deadline, I set my personal deadline 2-3 days earlier. This gives my perfectionist side enough time to make corrections and bring the project as close to my vision as possible.

2. Accept the Vision-Reality Gap

Understand that nothing can match exactly what's in your mind. Your vision exists in your head, not in physical reality. The real world has variables like color matching, styles, backgrounds, and operational inefficiencies that will always create some differences.

3. Reframe Perfectionism as a Gift

Perfectionism ensures you do your absolute best in all your projects. Don't be hard on yourself when you desire things to be perfect, it's just who you are. There's nothing wrong with it if you can control some of the negative tendencies attached to perfectionism. Each gift comes with its own advantages and disadvantages.

4. Just Start Taking Action

Perfectionists typically want all the information before starting a project. We do tons of research, reading, and planning but never take the necessary action.

Remember that you have limited time, resources, and brain space. Rather than spending all your valuable time learning to do something, start the work and learn as you go. Look at how doctors are trained, they learn the theory, but they also intern to gain the practical experience needed to practice independently.

5. Honor Your Deadlines

When your deadline arrives, submit your work. You've done enough, and this is your best work given the time and resources available. Enjoy what you've accomplished and give yourself grace.

Moving Beyond the "What If" Game

I used to reread coursework I had submitted years earlier and continue finding mistakes I would correct or things I could have added. Now, I don't engage in negative self-talk over these discoveries. The only thing I take away from those mistakes is "How could I improve next time?" not "If I hadn't made that mistake, I could have gotten a better outcome."

This perspective was evident in my application for a BML Startup grant last year. I saw the ads just two weeks before the deadline and created a comprehensive 42-page business plan with product details, market research, operating strategies, financial reports, and CSR plans, all within those two weeks.

Unfortunately, I wasn't shortlisted. While I occasionally review my work and find areas for improvement, after the initial disappointment, I moved on. I did my best with the time and resources I had. I refuse to play the "What if" game.

It's been five months since I wrote that business plan, and I already have a refined version in my head waiting to be translated to paper. Instead of dwelling on what could have been, I'm focused on what comes next. No more getting held down by my perfectionism.

Strive for excellence, not perfection.

اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَسْأَلُكَ الثَّبَاتَ فِي الْأَمْرِ ، وَالْعَزِيْمَةَ عَلَى الرُّشْدِ ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مُوْجِبَاتِ رَحْمَتِكَ ، وَعَزَائِمَ مَغْفِرَتِكَ ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ شُكْرَ

نِعْمَتِكَ ، وَحُسْنَ عِبَادَتِكَ ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ قَلْبًا سَلِيْمًا ، وَلِسَانًا صَادِقًا ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا تَعْلَمُ ، وَأَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا تَعْلَمُ

، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا تَعْلَمُ ، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوْبِ (Ahmad 17155)

Allāhumma innī as’aluka-th-thabāta fil-amr, wa-l-ʿazīmata ʿala-r-rushd, wa as’aluka mūjibāti raḥmatik, wa ʿazā’ima maghfiratik, wa as’aluka shukra niʿmatik, wa ḥusna ʿibādatik, wa as’aluka qalban salīmā, wa lisānan ṣādiqā, wa as’aluka min khayri mā taʿlam, wa aʿūdhu bika min sharri mā taʿlam, wa astaghfiruka limā taʿlam, innaka Anta ʿAllāmul-ghuyūb.

O Allah, I beg you for steadfastness in all matters and the determination to take the right course. I ask You for all that which will necessitate Your mercy and the determination to do all that which will necessitate Your forgiveness. I ask You to make me grateful for Your blessings and to worship You in an excellent manner. I ask You for a sound heart and a truthful tongue. I ask You for the good of what You know, I seek Your protection from the evil of what You know, and I seek Your forgiveness for what You know. Indeed, You are the All-Knowing of the unseen.