Break Free from perfectionism

22 Quotes To Help You Break Free From Perfectionism

I can't spell and my grammar isn't that great. I am so good at misspelling and grammatical mistakes that I beat the algorhythims. I "outsmart" the automated spell checkers and grammar checkers. I've tried lots of solutions.


When I was young, I was in special classes to fix my spelling and grammar issues. That focus did help, but I wasn't miraculously cured. When I went to apply to college, I had no idea what I wanted to be and decided I'd work on my biggest area of weakness. Off to college I went to get a Bachelor's in English with the hope of fixing my writing issues and become a good writer.


What I learned in college is that my ideas and concepts were compelling and my content was excellent. But, my technical skills (spelling and grammar) weren't great. My grades were always A or B on content and C on technical.


Off to the Writing Center for help.


They turned me away. For real.


They said, "We are here to help people with thier writing ideas, concepts and content. We don't help with grammar and spelling."


It was at that moment that I decided to stop fixating on perfection. My writing was good enough because I was able to get my idea across in a compelling way. I wasn't going to allow my lack of spelling and grammar perfection to stop me from sharing my ideas.


Writing continues to be at the center of what I do. I have gotten much better using different writing strategies that work for me, but I continue to make mistakes #allthetime. I laugh at my mistakes, fix them (if I can), and move on.


I don't allow my fear of making mistakes stop me from sharing my thoughts, ideas, and expertise. I take action.


I see clients, friends, and colleagues delay launches, engage their auidence using email, or creating a lead magnet all the time. The reasons for their delay are:

  • "I want it to be perfect."


  • "I've gotta plan everything out before I can start."


  • "I haven't gotten the messaging just right yet."


  • "I am doing more research."

It's not that I don't want to be perfect. I do want to be as close to perfect as possible, but I don't allow it to stop me from taking action on something new, making progress towards my goals, or moving outside of my comfort zone.


Quotes like these help me checkin with myself and make sure I am not delaying out of fear.

1 - “When things are perfect, that’s when you need to worry most.” — Drew Barrymore


2 - “I was born to make mistakes. Not fake perfection.” — Drake


3 - “At its root, perfectionism isn’t really about a deep love of being meticulous. It’s about fear. Fear of making a mistake. Fear of disappointing others. Fear of failure. Fear of success.” — Michael Law


4 - “Good enough is good enough. Perfect will make you a big fat mess every time.” — Rebecca Wells, The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder


5 - “If perfection had a slogan, I think it would be something like: ‘Perfection, the preferred hiding place of people everywhere." — Kristin Schell


6 - “Practice does not make perfect. Imperfect makes us practice.” — Mokokoma Mokhonoana


7 - “To be courageous, we must be willing to surrender our perfectionism, if only for a moment. If my self-worth is attached to being flawless, why would I ever try to learn anything new? After all, learning requires mistakes.” — Vironika Tugaleva, The Love Mindset


8 - “Find the perfection in every moment instead of trying to make every moment perfect.” — Donnalynn Civello


9 - “Proliferation is greater than perfection.” — Richie Norton


10 - “Done is better than perfect.” — Sheryl Sandberg


11 - “Where perfectionism is driving, your shame is riding shotgun.” — Brené Brown


12 - “We’re never perfect. We’re always measured against a yardstick we’ll never see.” — Molly M. Cantrell-Kraig


13 - "We can choose to be perfect and admired or to be real and loved." - Glennon Doyle Melton


14 - "Perfectionism is internalized oppression." — Gloria Steinem


15 - “Perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order.” — Anne Wilson Schaef


16 - “Perfectionism is a dream killer, because it’s just fear disguised as trying to do your best. It just is.” — Mastin Kipp


17 - “Embrace being perfectly imperfect. Learn from your mistakes and forgive yourself, you’ll be happier.” — Roy Bennett


18 - “Perfectionism may look good in his shiny shoes, but he's a bit of an asshole and no one invites him to their pool parties.” — Ze Frank


19 - “Perfectionism is the art of never being satisfied.” — Unknown


20 - “Perfect is the enemy of good” — Voltaire


21 - “Perfectionism is a disease. Procrastination is a disease. Action is the cure.” — Richie Norton


22 - “Perfectionism is not as much the desire for excellence, as it is the fear of failure couched in procrastination “ — Dan Miller

Mary Sue Dahill, Founder & CEO of Work Smarter Digital

Ambitious business owners that are tired of marketing gimmicks and digital tools that don't work work with Mary Sue. Because they want one solution that removes complexity and gets their business out of neutral, so they can stop scrambling for their next client and start enjoying the freedoms of entrepreneurship.


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