If you’re scaling a business, building a brand, or managing a team—you can’t afford to let perfectionism run the show.
Any of this sound familiar:
- You keep delaying your launch because “it’s not quite ready.”
- You micromanage because no one can meet your (unspoken) standard.
- You judge your progress by what’s still missing instead of what’s working.
As an entrepreneur, I hold myself to a high standard.
And that’s part of what’s gotten me this far.
But it’s also what’s held me back.
For example, this is driving me nutty right now.
I’m working on a new website for my coaching certification program. I have a great testimonial but I don’t have a picture for this person.
Is the testimonial real? Yes.
Is anyone going to know if I just plug in a stock image here? No.
Will I know? Yes.
And does that make me feel like a fraud? Like I’m cheating on a test? Yes.
Does that make any sense? Of course not.
Slowly but surely I’m learning that there’s a difference between excellence and perfectionism.
Excellence is achievable. It drives growth.
Perfectionism? It paralyzes. It slows momentum. It sabotages you and your sanity.
Here’s a simple reframe I’ve started using:
High standards are good. Impossible ones are not.
This is what I’m trying…
Launch at 80%. That last 20%? It’s usually ego, not impact.
I have a time block on my calendar for Friday afternoons that is dedicated to appeasing my inner-perfectionist. I have dedicated a time to go back to projects that are in the wild to update them, fix them, enhance them.
Knowing that this time block exists gives me the permission to launch at 80%.
I’m able to tell myself – it’s good enough for today – add it to the Friday Fix-It List – and move on to what’s more important.
Bottom line: Growth doesn’t come from being flawless.
It comes from staying in motion.
You’re not here to be perfect.
You’re here to build something that matters.
Let that be enough—at least for today.
Let’s go!
Chad
