Read Time: 3 minutes and 28 seconds.

Picture this.

You’ve dedicated your entire weekend to finally setting up your website.

Sitting at your neatly organized desk, you straighten your seat to get down to business.

The website is so close to completion, you can sense victory.

However, two whole days of work pass and you’re left feeling agitated.

Something’s just not right.

The colour scheme feels off.

The layout doesn’t feel right.

The fonts could be better.

Feeling frustrated at your decision to design your website this way, you slam your laptop lid shut.

After months of working on setting up your website, you still haven’t made much progress.

Starting to get anxious, you decide to start again from scratch.

After all, it has to be just right.

Are you surprised by this outcome?

In this edition of The Path Toward Purpose we’re going to explore Embracing Imperfection: A Step-by-Step Guide to Overcoming Perfectionism and why seeking to be perfect is often an act of self sabotage.

 The Foundations of Perfectionism

Perfectionism can be such a pain.

It can feel like pushing a boulder up a hill, only to watch it fall back down again once you reach the top.

Perfectionism originates from indecision.

It’s where in your mind, you don’t have a clear picture of what you truly want.

Without a clear reference point, you end up swaying back and forth, acting with certainty.

Because perfection doesn’t exist.

Only the desire to attain it.

 The Mental Framework

The human mind loves perfection.

Looking at the historical greats, they all chased a sense of purpose in their work.

Because perfection is intrinsically linked towards our desire to create something meaningful.

An impactful creation on the world.

Yet, this can only occur if you have clarity on what you want to create and why you want to do it.

Without having a true North to direct your efforts.

You’ll end up desiring to attain perfection in all your endeavours.

Which isn’t sustainable in the long-term, and this transitions into perfectionism.

 How-To Apply This

Perfectionism isn't an illness.

On the contrary, you can channel it to help you attain what you desire.

Providing you layout the correct conditions.

Here’s a sequence you could follow:

Step 1. Decide on your definition of perfection.

When you have a clear idea on your level of “acceptable” perfection.

You make quick progress.

Because you have a clear idea on what you want to create.

This removes uncertainty from your mind and gives you full energy to focus on your efforts.

Before you tackle any project, idea or creative work.

Carefully consider the outcome you seek before you make a start.

Step 2. Acknowledge your shortcomings.

Sometimes, you just can’t do it all.

No matter how hard you try.

If your level of “acceptable” perfection isn’t within the scope of your abilities.

Then you have three pathways to follow.

1. Outsource your work to an expert

2. Learn the skills required

3. Decrease your level of acceptable perfection

Having shortcomings isn’t a detrimental factor in your life.

Rather, it’s a part of being human.

We can’t be perfect after all.

Step 3. Build a strategy where possible.

A strategy is a timeless vehicle towards success.

All throughout history, great commanders, conquerors and heroes attain greatness through strategy.

Yet in the modern world?

It’s a forgotten factor.

Many of us are on the treadmill of life, being reactive, rather than proactive.

In simple terms, a strategy is a reverse engineering of a defined outcome.

Think of it as cogs turning in a machine.

When all the cogs move in harmony.

You have motion.

This applies for anything you wish to work towards.

You need motion to make progress.

To create a strategy, I recommend using Trello.

I’m not advertising them in any way, rather, I use Trello to organize my entire life.

It’s also part of my Coaching Programs and all my clients learn to use it very effectively to swiftly achieve their goals.

🚀 Next Steps

You won’t ever be perfect, but you can certainly embrace imperfection.

It all starts with understanding exactly what you desire as an outcome.

Whether it’s a website, blog, work project or any creative endeavour.

Without a clear definition of the bigger picture, you’ll get lost in the small details.

Ultimately driving you towards attaining perfection in areas that aren’t a priority.

In the long term, this leads to indecision, lack of clarity and time wasted.

You want to avoid this at all costs as perfectionism is only going to hold you back.

Progress requires synchronicity, where you need to be moving forward swiftly and surely.

In the next edition of The Path Toward Purpose, I’ll be covering the origins of procrastination and what you can do to overcome it. There’s nothing worse than holding yourself back in life and I’m going to show you exactly how to slay your inner procrastinator. I’m already excited to share this with you!