Perfection is the enemy of good

Perfection is the enemy of good.

We tend to overoptimize things that don't matter.
We tend to polish something that is already good enough.
We don't share our knowledge because we think it's irrelevant.
We collect countless edge cases to cover before we even start working.

Perfection makes us unhappy.
We will never be good enough.
Our job will never be satisfactory.
We will never find time to celebrate.

Perfection limits us.
We are afraid of starting new things
because we know we will never be perfect.

This is also the story of my life.

Striving for perfection made the world black and white.
Either I do something I can be good at or don't do it at all.

So while I mastered one aspect of my life, the rest didn't exist AT ALL.
I chased my unrealistic goals.
I was monotonous.
I was unhappy.

Since I started accepting imperfection, the world around me got the full spectrum of colors. 🌈
I enjoy life.
I have fun.
I learn.

In this photo, I was 61 out of 111 people in a trail race.
Years ago, I would only consider participation after I was sure I'd be top 10.

So I wouldn't even start.
And I wouldn't enjoy these views, these emotions.
I would reject happiness and learning opportunities.
I would reject everything that this experience brought to me.

“Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it.”
--Salvador Dali 🦞