Why good enough is better than perfect.
You can make life extra hard for yourself if you suffer from perfectionism. You’ll not only make yourself unhappy but micromanage others because they are so ‘imperfect’ and make everyone around you unhappy as well.
Doing something well will not suffice. You’ll want to do better… and better. So you’ll never feel like anything has been completed. It can be tweaked more, right? And you’ll never feel perfect however hard you try. What does this lead to? Stress, anxiety, depression and general dissatisfaction with everyone and everything.
Ultimately, your mania could make you examine yourself too critically. Your face is imperfect and your body is awful. The more you try to perfect them, the more imperfect they will seem. This could lead to eating disorder and related physical issues.
“Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it.” – Salvador Dali
Everyone is entitled to their rare ‘perfect’ days or ‘perfect’ whatever. Imagine if every day was that way. Your days would be boring without anything to work for or look forward to. Perfect can be boring and perfectionists can be really boring because they are imperfect humans pretending to be perfect. Imagine how boring it would be if all trees were the same shape and size. Are all mountains perfectly symmetrical and of the same height? Nature is seemingly full of imperfections but perfect in her imperfections.
If you are expecting to get the ‘perfect partner’, it might be time to take a hard look at yourself. Are you perfect? The perfect human has not yet been created. Accepting someone with their flaws and working around theirs (and your!) flaws might make you far happier.
The ones make you feel alive and happy are the ones who know how to leave good enough alone. They are able to take the best of even bad situations and turn them around so they work for them. They go with the flow, not against it. If the current starts flowing against them, they don’t struggle too hard to swim against it. They simply grab a log and float along until they can pull themselves out. They know that constantly fighting against the flow is exhausting and not worth fighting against.
“Perfection’ is man’s ultimate illusion. It simply doesn’t exist in the universe. If you are a perfectionist, you are guaranteed to be a loser in whatever you do.” – David D. Burns
They are happier and more at peace because they know that life’s imperfections is what makes it fun and exciting. They know that, by extension, they are not perfect too. And that the only way to learn more is by making mistakes. You can learn new things only by making mistakes. If you are in an environment where even small mistakes are frowned upon, the expectation is that you keep doing the same thing and learn nothing new. Perfectionism does not tolerate mistakes and therefore discourages innovation and new ways of doing things. Perfectionism fears change of any kind.
The next time you’ve done something well, let it be and move on. Good enough is better than perfect. Making mistakes is how you get better. And always remember that you are good enough as you are. In fact, you are far better than perfect.
