If You Struggle With Prefectionism, Read This

Prefectionism.

Yeah, I spelled that wrong on purpose.

Because I want to talk about something a lot of high achievers wear like a badge of honor. “I’m a perfectionist.”

People say it like it’s a strength. Like it’s the reason they’re successful. Like it proves they have high standards. But after years of coaching driven, capable, high-performing people, I’ve seen something very different.

Perfectionism is usually the exact thing holding them back.

And here’s my hot take. It shouldn’t even be called perfectionism. It should be called imperfectionism. Because perfectionists are not walking around noticing what’s working. They are constantly scanning for what’s wrong, what’s missing, and what’s not quite right yet.

That’s not a superpower. That’s exhausting.

And it’s sneaky, because it disguises itself as high standards when it’s really just fear in a really sharp suit.

Author John Acuff talks about this in his book Finish, where he breaks down the myths of perfectionism. These are the quiet lies we tell ourselves that keep us stuck. Things like, “If it doesn’t involve pain, it’s not worth doing,” or “If I can’t guarantee success, I won’t even start.” He also calls out beliefs like “If it’s not perfect, it’s a failure,” “I have to do it all and do it right,” “More effort always equals better results,” and “If it’s easy for me, it doesn’t count.”

Those do not sound like excuses. They sound like discipline and commitment.

But they are not.

They are just really sophisticated procrastination.

Because while you are waiting for perfect, you are not executing. And here is what I know to be true. Done beats perfect every single time. Execution matters more than expertise. Being in the game matters more than winning it. You cannot improve something that does not exist yet.

Now let me pause for a second, because I know something happened when you opened this email.

A lot of you noticed the subject line. “Prefectionism.” You spotted it right away. Maybe you reread it. Maybe you questioned it. Maybe you even thought about replying to point it out.

And while that was happening, you stopped focusing on the message.

That right there is perfectionism in action. It redirected your attention away from what matters and pointed it straight at what is wrong.

The irony writes itself.

So here is your challenge this week. Where in your life or business are you waiting for perfect before you move? Where are you overthinking, over-editing, or over-preparing instead of just starting?

What would happen if you simply took action. Not perfect action, just action.

Because imperfect action taken today will always beat the perfect plan that never leaves your head.

Always.

Proactive, Productive, and Profitable,
Dino