Perfection vs. Progress

I've long battled the subconscious belief that if I can't achieve perfection instantly, there's no point in attempting anything at all. Over the past few months, I've become increasingly aware of this mindset, which has been immensely frustrating. Unfortunately, merely recognizing this thought process hasn’t improved my mental health. Awareness doesn’t equate to action or change; it often just leads to frustration.

Instead of dedicating time to something meaningful to me, like making tangible progress, I dwell on why it won't be accomplished by tomorrow. This is self-sabotage at its finest.

Why put effort into a post that may help me earn a living if it won't yield enough income by tomorrow? Why organize the apartment I've lived in for two months into a welcoming space if it will still need more work tomorrow? I could list countless examples, but these two resonate the most in my daily life.

Logically, I understand that writing a post today and making a bit of progress is better than procrastinating. I realize that organizing a single cupboard today is more beneficial than ignoring the chaos in my living space. Yet, logic often takes a backseat to emotion.

A Collage Teaching Me a New Perspective

A friend gifted me a unique Ravenclaw-themed collage a year or so ago. It came with around 30 pictures, which I planned to hang in my future apartment. Now, that collage adorns my bedroom wall, but I initially used sticky tack, thinking it wouldn’t damage my walls. Unfortunately, I was mistaken. Each day, I find one or more pictures on the floor, and I dutifully rehang them.

I bought tape to resolve this issue, but it has sat on my counter, teasing me while I avoided the simple task of re-hanging everything. Deep down, I felt I wouldn’t have the time or energy to do it all at once, so I kept procrastinating.

Instead of writing “rehang the entire collage” in my planner, I simply wrote, “Start rehanging collage.” That night, exhausted and ready for bed, I saw the unchecked box and thought I had failed. But a quieter voice suggested I could just rehang one picture—after all, starting is progress.

So, after getting ready for bed, I climbed on a chair and rehung a single picture on the far right. The sense of achievement I felt that night was incredible. For once, I prioritized progress over perfection, and it felt liberating.

Since then, I've hung a few pictures each night. I stopped pressuring myself to finish everything at once, and it’s been a rewarding experience.

Applying This New Mindset to Other Aspects of My Life

Despite this progress, I still grapple with perfectionism. It’s an arduous battle, and if you’re a perfectionist, you likely understand. Perfectionism isn’t just a bad habit; it’s a debilitating force that stalls your life. It drains your motivation and keeps you stuck, fueling frustration over not advancing quickly enough.

This experience with my collage has imparted a vital lesson that I desperately needed to learn years ago. It motivated me to write today because I recognized that even a small effort is better than none. Is this my best blog post? No. But is it progress? Absolutely.

I won’t claim that overcoming perfectionism will happen overnight, nor will your life change drastically as soon as you start. I anticipate this will be a long journey. However, if you can find your own version of the collage in my story, you might discover the strength to make incremental progress in your life that surpasses any self-defeating narrative you’ve been telling yourself.

Here’s to making small steps forward each day—may they add up to significant progress sooner than you think!

The first video showcases the collaboration of Jonas Blue and JP Cooper in "Perfect Strangers," exploring themes of connection and self-discovery.

The second video features Conan Gray's "Memories," reflecting on the bittersweet nature of recollections and personal growth.