Overcoming Perfectionism

𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿. 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗜𝗻 𝗘𝗣𝗖 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀, 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀: Built –> on time, within budget, at the required quality. But here’s what happens instead: - In engineering, people try to squeeze out the last kWh, even if it delays construction. - In procurement, they negotiate for two more cents, and miss the ordering window. - On site, everything comes to a halt because a mounting hole pattern doesn’t fit. Instead of drilling, they call the supplier for three days. Seriously? Why? Because everyone’s thinking inside their bubble. Their silo. Their scope. Their personal KPIs. But an EPC project is not a theoretical exercise –> it’s execution under pressure. As an EPC project manager (or above), you don’t have the luxury of perfectionism. You need the full picture, and the courage to say: Enough optimizing. Let’s build. Because in reality, over-optimization often means: - Perfect calculations on paper. - Grid connection slot missed. - Project not realized. Sometimes leadership means: Wrong part delivered? Use what’s available on-site. Not 100% clean? Document, continue, fix later. Problem? Solve it. Don’t stop the work. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼: 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻. I’m not looking for textbook answers! I want real moments. When did you say: “Enough planning! We’re building now.” Let’s hear your stories. No glossy answers, just real-world lessons. #EPC #Leadership #ProjectExecution #Overengineering #SiloThinking #Construction #Solar #Pragmatism #RealTalk

Many leaders I observe aren't failing because they make bad decisions. They're failing because they make no decisions, or not enough and not fast enough. Last week, I started coaching an executive at a large consumer goods company who told me he spent three months with his team perfecting a launch plan. Market conditions shifted. Competitors moved. His “perfect” plan launched into a world that no longer exists. Meanwhile, another leader ships something rough in three weeks, learns what breaks, fixes it, and is two iterations ahead. It´s like you're staring at a wall you need to cross. One ladder is crudely assembled, a few bolts missing, slightly wobbly. But it's finished, and it gets you over. Next to it sits another ladder, beautifully crafted, perfectly engineered. Except it's even not half-built. You can admire it all you want. It's useless. Unfinished perfection is responsible: "We're being thorough. We're mitigating risk." What you're actually doing is outsourcing decisions to an imaginary future where you'll have perfect information. That future never comes. Five practical ways I work with coachees to break the pattern: 1) Ship before you're comfortable. If you feel fully ready, you've waited too long. 2) Define "good enough" upfront. What's the minimum that tests your core assumption? Everything else is decoration. 3) Make reversible decisions fast, irreversible ones carefully. Most decisions aren't irreversible. Stop treating them like they are. 4) Reward speed of learning, not quality of first execution. If your culture punishes rough drafts, people hide behind perfectionism. 5) Kill projects that don't ship. If something has been "almost ready" for six months, either ship it quickly or kill it. Yep! Ugly action exposes you. So what? Or would you prefer that “false” perfectionism protects your ego? It only lets you maintain the illusion of competence without ever testing it against reality. On the other hand, reality rewards people who move. Who learn. Who iterate. The gap between where you are and where you need to be doesn't close through planning. It closes through motion. Let's swing into action and improve as we go. Step by step. *********************** I'm an executive coach, scholar, and sparring partner to leaders and entrepreneurs worldwide. Former senior executive at Amazon, L’Oréal, and Chewy, and board member at Tchibo.

I've uploaded 800+ YouTube videos since 2017. But it took me 7 years to upload my first video. I thought I needed the perfect plan - that if I waited and prepared for long enough, I'd feel ready. Perfect content strategy. Perfect production quality. Perfect camera confidence. So when I read about the pottery class paradox, it hit home. A ceramics teacher split his class into two groups. Group A had to make one perfect pot in 30 days. Group B had to make as many pots in 30 days. At the end of the month, the teacher judged the quality of the pots. Without exception, every one of the most beautiful and well-made pots came from Group B - the quantity group. For me too, the moment I shifted to just making one video every week no matter what, everything changed. My writing started flowing better.  My editing got better through repetition. I developed better instincts for what worked. 800+ uploads later, I still fall into perfectionist habits sometimes. But I try to trick my brain into starting. I ask "What would this look like if it were fun?" I tell myself, "Just record - no need to publish." I focus on serving others, not protecting my ego. And once I hit record and start talking, the creative spirit moves within me, even when the process feels messy. P.S. If you want more insights on productivity and overcoming perfectionism, I share my best thinking here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e5cMJJ5k

I once coached a rep who spent 45 minutes writing a single prospecting email. It never got opened. This is what perfectionism looks like in sales. It feels like diligence. But it's actually fear in disguise. It’s the #1 silent killer of productivity I see in top performers. And it’s keeping thousands of reps from greatness. When I ask my clients why they procrastinate on key actions—emails, calls, exec meetings—it's rarely because they’re lazy. It’s because they’re scared it won’t be “good enough.” They believe if it’s not perfect, it’s not worth doing. So they delay. They overthink. They rewrite the email 9 times. They wait until they “feel more prepared” to meet the VP. They avoid risk… and call it professionalism. But here’s the truth: Perfectionism is just fear—dressed up as high standards. And it’s costing you pipeline, confidence, and growth. The irony? You only become “good enough” by doing the reps. You don’t become a world-class presenter by sitting in Google Docs. You become one by presenting. Over and over. You don’t write powerful emails by waiting for inspiration. You get there by writing 100 bad ones first. Mastery doesn’t come from waiting until you're ready. It comes from acting before you are. The best salespeople I know are not perfectionists. They are consistent executors. They ship when it’s 80% ready. They call the VP even when they’re nervous. They send the message before second-guessing every word. They understand that competence is built through action. Not before it. Perfectionism isn’t a high standard. It’s fear of failure in a nice suit. You don’t beat it by thinking. You beat it by acting. Every single day. Done now Beats perfect never. Always.

I need to get better at being worse at my job. Here’s why: I hate making mistakes. I have unreasonably high standards. And (I cringe to type this) I just want to be the best at everything I do. If reading that made you tired, you’re right: perfectionism is exhausting. Maintaining constant high standards takes time and emotional commitment and causes stress. Just as bad is that perfectionism interferes with my relationships. I tend to hold those around me to the same high standards (MY standards, not THEIRS). So when they (reasonably) fail to meet the standards, I can get resentful and impatient. My creativity suffers too. When I’m focused on being the best, I get way too “heads down” and miss what’s happening around me. I know this perfectionist habit will not be easy to break, but I’m determined to start the process by asking myself these five questions: 1. How can I make this task less stressful? ➡️ Rather than “how can I do this perfectly?” I’m asking, “what could I do to make this easier?” For example, I’ve started giving myself time limits for how long I’ll work on a project, or outsourcing parts of it to others. 2. Is that mistake the end of the world? ➡️ I guarantee it’s not. So stop pretending it is (Amy!). 3. Are you being nice to yourself? ➡️ When it’s time to review work I remind myself that I’m not perfect and that’s OK. 4. Can I lower my standard and still be satisfied with the outcome? ➡️ Chances are yes. What would the end result look like if I dialed it back 10 or 20%? 5. Am I ruminating or problem solving? ➡️ Sometimes when I overthink something I convince myself that it’s helpful. Now I ask myself if I’m solving a problem or just spinning. 🌟 On avoiding “compound perfectionism”: The sneaky thing about perfectionism is that it makes me want to be perfect at not being perfect. (A gift that keeps on giving!) So while these questions are meant to help me change my habits, I do NOT want them to become another unreasonably high standard. So if (just kidding, when) I forget to ask myself these questions, I have to let it go. I have to say: “It’s okay, Amy. You’re doing really well. You’re learning new habits, and it takes time to change. I’m proud of you for trying something new and challenging.” Here’s to being worse at my job(s), from writing to parenting and everything in between. Are you with me? (And for more on this, see the link in the comments.)

Founders are trained to optimize everything: CAC, ROAS, margins, funnels, workflows, speed, systems. But nobody teaches them the discipline of pausing. - Pausing at “good enough.” - Pausing before a team burns out. - Pausing before a product loses its soul. The truth is – Optimization is glorified. Whereas, over-optimization is rarely discussed – and it destroys more brands than failure ever does. It took me years to understand this. Founders love tweaking. - One more redesign. - One more campaign variation. - One more “small change” that derails an entire team’s bandwidth. You think you’re improving the business. But sometimes, you’re just interrupting its momentum. The most mature founders I know aren’t obsessed with perfecting things. They’re obsessed with protecting the things that already work. They know impact comes from focus, not endless fine-tuning. Because, restraint is a skill. And it’s far harder than growth. What’s one area of your business you’re “optimizing”… that actually needs you to stop touching it and let it breathe? Trust me, your answer may surprise you.

Early in my career, I was a code-churning machine. 1000+ pull requests in 2.5 years. A PR factory. I thought I was crushing it. I wasn't. Instead of adding value, I was "perfecting" code. Polishing doorknobs on a burning house. My teammates drowning in code reviews while I rearranged deck chairs on the Titanic. The metrics looked great. The impact? Not so much. Today, I'm lucky to ship 3 PRs a week. But those 3 PRs matter. The shift? Focus. Instead of perfecting, I'm prioritizing: 1. Lightening my team's load 2. Shipping faster, moving to the next thing 3. Asking my manager how I can help Perfectionism is the enemy of progress. It's a comforting lie we tell ourselves to avoid the scary parts of our job – the ambiguity, the risk of being wrong, the potential for failure. But that's where the real value is created. Now, I combat my perfectionist tendencies with three weapons: 1. Weekly priorities: Write them down. Stick to them. 2. Smallest viable value: Ship it. Get feedback. Iterate. 3. Early input: 4-hour focus blocks, then share. Course-correct fast. The result? 50% fewer PRs, 2x more value. Perfectionism feels productive. It's not. It's procrastination in a productivity costume. Real impact comes from shipping, learning, and iterating. From helping your team, not drowning them in unnecessary work. So next time you're tempted to "perfect" something, ask yourself: Am I adding value, or just avoiding the hard stuff? The answer might surprise you. #lessons #NoCode #productive #growthhack

Who knew that a book about hospitality and a British cycling coach could give us a better approach to attribution and performance improvement. For too long we've been thinking about attribution wrong, two ways. First, it's not about who gets credit. It's about delivering more predictable future outcomes. Higher confidence in future performance is the real value of any attribution pursuit. The second way we get it wrong is by trying to complete the entire picture. The complexity of B2B buying and selling will continue to outpace our ability to measure everything, together, in totality. In his book Unreasonable Hospitality, Will Guidara quotes British cycling coach Sir David Brailsford who committed to what he called "the aggregation of marginal gains". In Sir Brailsford's words: "The whole principle came from the idea that if you broke down everything you could think of that goes into riding a bike, then improve it by 1 percent, you will get a significant increase when you put it all together." Too often in pursuit of a complete picture, we fail to put enough focus on those marginal gains. Guidara's book chronicles his journey taking Eleven Madison Park from a good brasserie in New York City to a four-star restaurant and eventually to be rated as the best restaurant in the world. And here's what Guidara says about pursuing perfection: "Perfection as an overall goal was overwhelming, not to mention unattainable. It may not be possible to do everything perfectly, but it is possible to do many things perfectly. That's the very definition of excellence: get as many details right as you can." Marginal improvements are achievable in hospitality as well as complex buying journeys. Sweat the small stuff. Make micro-moments, micro-sequences, as accurate and predictable as possible. If a coach can get knighted for it, and a restauranteur can get to the very top of his industry with it, I'm pretty sure it'll help us with 2026 pipeline performance as well.

Don't try to be perfect, just try to add value. As a business coach, I see many coaches, consultants, and service-based business owners held back by the need for everything to be perfect. The pressure to: → launch with flawless modules → write perfect content → sending the perfect messages → have a seamless system → create impeccable branding The desire to have a picture-perfect business is not only unrealistic but also paralyzing. This need for perfection often leads to: → Delayed launches → Missed opportunities → Increased stress → Low to no revenue And the list goes on. Because the truth is, 'perfection' means something different for everyone. and aiming for it is an endless pursuit that stifles progress, growth and guarantees that you stay stuck in feeling overwhelmed. Within my 'In Demand Program' we have a rule of aiming for 80% perfection. Which means that things get done, results happen fast and the market will inform the remaining 20% to optimise to make your results even better and avoid wasting time on areas of the business that don't matter in the end - so that you can actually have a business and a life at the same time! So think about... ✨ Sharing your knowledge and insights, even if they're not perfectly packaged. ✨ Engaging with your audience genuinely and consistently, even if every message isn't flawless. ✨ Providing practical solutions that can help your clients right now, even if they aren't presented perfectly. business doesn't happen in a vaccum. It takes ongoing commitment and refinement to make it better over time. Your clients and future clients want your expertise, your authentic self, and your valuable insights now. as a 'recovering perfectionist' myself, I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences with this below! 👇 P.S sharing my 'not so perfect' office setup as an example from when I was travelling Europe for the summer last year because sometimes you've just got to make it work! #AddValue #BusinessCoach #ImperfectProgress #CoachingTips #Consultants #ValueOverPerfection

Waiting for the perfect moment to stop relying on associate work and finally grow your coaching/facilitation business? It's costing you more than you think. For years, I told myself, "I'll be ready when...." to finally start playing big. I thought I was being smart—strategic, even. But deep down, it was perfectionism in disguise. Sound familiar? Perfectionism is the most dangerous limiting belief holding back your success. Why? ▪️ It tricks you into thinking you're being productive while you’re really just stuck. ▪️ It delays progress under the false promise of "readiness." ▪️ It holds your business hostage to your own approval. I’ve seen so many self-employed coaches, trainers, and facilitators feel paralysed by this belief, thinking they need: 👉 One more certification to feel credible 👉 To update their website with a new bio 👉 The perfect plan to guarantee success But action, not perfection, moves the needle. No one is waiting for you to be perfect—they’re waiting for you to show up. So, instead of chasing perfection: ✅ Talk to potential clients ✅ Launch messy and refine along the way. ✅ Focus on solving problems, not polishing endlessly. ✅ Share your expertise as it is—it’s enough to create impact right now. Perfectionism isn’t protecting your business. It’s sabotaging it. Let’s stop waiting and start doing. ~~ ♻️ Share if you needed to hear this message ✍️ Have you ever let fear of imperfection stop you from taking a big step in your business? How did you overcome it?