One bulletproof way to kill perfectionism

From a very young age I was caught in the trap of controlling everything to be perfect.

My Mom often shares a story from my 2nd birthday where immediately after receiving all of my gifts, rather than playing with them, I went up to my room, put all of my toys away, folded all of my clothes and helped clean up the mess.

Not a normal 2 year old thing to do, but perfectionism was in my genes.

I thought being perfect meant being safe and that followed me into adulthood.

It made me a high-achiever on the outside, but on the inside it fuelled anxiety, procrastination, burnout and suicidal ideation.

Sound familiar?

Perfectionism is not about high standards or control.

It’s about fear.

We learned that if we do things perfectly, then we’ll be loved, safe, valued and respected.

If we don’t, something bad will happen.

And the most challenging thing about perfectionism is that it can feel productive.

• Over-optimizing my health and trying to control everything that went into my body was productive, because it made me “healthy”.

• Waiting to ship the product or publish the draft until it was perfect meant I was thoughtful and intentional.

• Stressing about having every step thought out and aligned before starting the project meant I wouldn’t fail.

Perfectionism tricks us into believing it’s useful, but neuroscience tells a very different story.

Beneath the surface, perfectionism reshapes the brain and damages our mental health in ways that are anything but productive.

The impacts:

Perfectionism isn’t a harmless “high standard.”

It literally rewires the brain for fear and self-attack, drains cognitive resources, and destroys long-term performance, while massively increasing risks of anxiety, depression, burnout, and even suicide.

The cost of chasing “perfect” is far greater than the reward, because perfectionism is never satisfied.

The Antidote to Perfectionism: The “Good Enough” Loop

Perfectionism thrives when “enough” is infinite.

But you can kill it by setting a visible finish line for the activity at hand.

Here’s how to transform perfectionism into a powerfully productive trait.

1. Define enough:

   1. Before you start, ask: “This will be enough when…”

   2. Instead of: “I’ll write the perfect article.” Say: “This will be enough when I’ve written one page that shares the core idea on my mind today.”

   3. Defining “enough” shrinks the monster in your head and gives you a finish line you can actually reach.

2. Limit time

   1. Give yourself a clearly defined time container.

   2. Example: 45 minutes to draft the article, edit the article and hit publish.

   3. Work expands to fill the space you give it, if enough is infinite, you’ll never get it done.

3. Ship imperfect, launch before you’re ready

   1. When the time is up, release it.

   2. Publishing, shipping, launching, sharing, etc. builds self-trust faster than polishing.

   3. The stories you’re telling yourself of “not being ready” aren’t real.

4. Reflect, don’t regret.

   1. After releasing ask: “What worked? What can I improve next time?”

   2. That’s growth without shame, learning without failure, and expanding your potential to reach your goals without pressure.

The Perfection Loop keeps you trapped in the prison of “do it perfectly, or don’t do it at all.”

The Good Enough Loop free’s you by helping you understand it’s better to get it done and improve as you go.

Because your idea of perfect isn’t real.

Think of whatever you’re trying to achieve as art.

The blog article, the product, the business, the dream you’re trying to materialize.

None of it is real until you actually put it into the world. It will be perceived, shaped and expanded upon through the process of releasing it.

Once it’s out in the world, it becomes art, interpreted, felt, and experienced by others in ways you can’t control.

The more you hold onto it, the more you stay stuck inside of the prison of perfectionism, calcifying your hearts desire to create, build and achieve something meaningful.

Releasing it, shipping it, sharing it, frees you to discover the truth of what your idea actually wants to become.

Much Love,

Cory Firth
Creator of One Minute Weekend

Let’s work together!