Progress Beats Perfection. Every Time.

If you're constantly rewriting the plan before taking the first step—you’re not alone.

We tell ourselves we’re just being careful, thoughtful, strategic. But underneath all that “planning,” we’re often just avoiding the discomfort of starting imperfectly.

But over time, and especially through real leadership pressure, I learned a truth:

You don’t get to perfect without progress.

I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit stuck at the starting line—not because I didn’t have ideas, but because I was trying to get everything just right before taking action.

I wanted the perfect moment.
The perfect version.
The perfect plan.

And in chasing that illusion, I missed opportunities, wasted time, and stalled projects that could’ve moved forward with just one small step.

Sound familiar?

Perfection is a Stalling Tactic Disguised as a Virtue

It feels like you’re being responsible.
You’re planning, polishing, preparing.

But more often than not, perfection is fear in disguise—fear of being judged, of failing, of not being good enough.

What I’ve learned is that momentum matters more than mastery.
You can refine a moving idea. You can’t steer a parked car.

A Lesson I Learned in Leadership

Years ago, I was managing a growing team. We were moving fast—but not fast enough for me.

I had a habit: if someone’s work wasn’t “exactly” how I wanted it, I’d redo it. Not fix it—redo it.
Emails. Decks. Reports. Presentations. I’d rewrite, reframe, re-polish.
I told myself I was maintaining standards. In truth, I was chasing perfection at the cost of progress.

One day, my boss pulled me aside and said:

“How long do you think this is going to work? You’re burning yourself out, slowing everything down, and stopping your team from growing. It’s not sustainable.”

That was a hard pill to swallow. But they were right.
I wasn’t building people. I was building bottlenecks.
And the worst part? We weren’t shipping…. Deadlines were slipping.

My energy was draining. The team felt demotivated.

So I tried something different. I let “good” go forward. I gave feedback, but didn’t take over.
And surprisingly—things didn’t fall apart. In fact, they improved.
People took more ownership. They improved faster. And I had more bandwidth to lead, not redo.

Here’s the Truth

Done is better than perfect.
Started is better than stalled.
Action builds confidence. Inaction builds doubt.

That doesn’t mean you abandon quality or lower your standards.
It means you stop letting perfection be the excuse for procrastination.

Most success stories don’t begin with brilliance.
They begin with motion.

Look Ahead. Not Around.

Don’t wait for the perfect time.
Don’t wait to feel “ready.”
Take a step. Build momentum. Course-correct as you go.

Progress is how you grow into the person you were waiting to be perfect enough to become.

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