Perfection is an illusion. You’ve probably heard the English expression “Practice makes perfect.” We often use this phrase when there’s still something we need to learn.

The idea is that when you practice, you gradually get better at something. There’s nothing wrong with striving for perfection—it can boost your motivation, sharpen your focus, and help you improve your skills.

However, striving for perfection also comes with a risk, because we often take it literally. The Van Dale dictionary defines perfection as “the absence of flaws or defects; = flawlessness.” When you truly reflect on what that means, you’ll realize it’s impossible to achieve.

To be human is to make mistakes.
Making mistakes is simply part of being human. So “Practice makes perfect” implies striving for something that doesn’t actually exist. And that pursuit can lead to stress, paralysis, and fear of failure. Even if you’re very skilled at something, there will still be moments when you overlook something, forget something, or make a mistake. That’s why perfection is an illusion.

If your ‘perfection switch’ is always turned on, it can lead to unnecessary stress. When that stress builds up, it can eventually result in stress-related symptoms and even absenteeism. Tasks also tend to take more time. You actually save time by aiming for “good is good enough.”

Striving for perfection can also be paralyzing due to the fear of not doing things perfectly. When you believe something has to be flawless—even when you’re still in the learning phase—it can lead to procrastination. As a result, you may miss out on valuable learning opportunities, because in the end, we learn the most from our mistakes.

This is something I still struggle with myself. For instance, I’ve challenged myself to be more active on LinkedIn. But then I find myself wrestling with the post I want to share, because of course, it has to be good and interesting right away. That’s my inner critic in full force. The result? I start putting it off again, reading something first or making a list of possible topics. Meanwhile, plenty is happening, but nothing actually gets posted.

Practice makes progress.

I prefer using the phrase “practice makes progress” to help myself actually go ahead and post. Progress means making small steps forward, gradually getting better at something. If you make mistakes or miss the mark once in a while, that’s okay—because it doesn’t have to be perfect. What matters is that by doing, you grow as a person. That you give yourself the space to develop your talents and, in doing so, become a more complete version of yourself.

And every now and then, take a moment to look back at the path you’ve traveled. Seeing where you started and where you are now can help you view yourself with more confidence. You can recognize the progress you’ve made, the steps you’ve taken. And the fact that it’s not perfect (and never will be) doesn’t matter—that’s not the point.

Keeping this in mind makes it a lot easier to write something. It doesn’t have to be perfect, even though my inner critic still wants to believe it does. But the post is up now, and that’s what counts 😉.