The Pretty Trap: Why Perfectionism is Just Excellence in Shackles | Jared Roach, Brand Architect

There is a very "pretty" trap out here for creatives, business leaders, and high achievers. It’s a trap that many of us—myself included—have worn like jewelry. We treat it like it’s something to be applauded, something noteworthy to share in an interview: "I'm just a perfectionist".

But here is the reality: Perfectionism is a shackle that keeps you from ever seeing the finish line. It moves the goalposts every time you get close, ensuring you never actually feel what the end feels like.

The Carrot on a Stick

In a vacuum, wanting to put your best foot forward and having a "high floor" for your work are good things. But perfectionism takes it a step further. It tells you:

• "I won’t publish this until it’s perfect." 

• "I won’t do that speech until I am perfect." 

The problem? We are imperfect beings. I have never designed a perfect website or a perfect logo, and I've never had a perfect consultation. If perfection is the goal, you are chasing a carrot you will literally never reach. You are running yourself ragged for a destination that doesn't exist.

Excellence vs. Perfectionism

People often ask me, "Jared, aren't you just saying I should settle for less?".

Absolutely not. I have a very strong floor; there is work I simply cannot accept or pass off to a client because it doesn't meet my standards. But that isn't perfectionism—that is requiring excellence.

While they sound similar, there is a fundamental difference in how they end:

• The Perfectionist stays in "project mode" forever. They never publish, which means they never get the chance to be refined by the world. They are paralyzed by the fear of criticism.

• The Excellent Person does the best they can with what they have, and then they cross over. They present the work, they take the critique, and they use that process to become even more excellent next time.

Free Yourself from the 100%

Let me free you from something today: You are incapable of being perfect.

Nothing you put out will ever be 100% immune to criticism, and there will always be something you could improve later. That is simply the nature of growth.

However, you are capable of giving everything you have right now. You are capable of being excellent. Don't let the pursuit of an impossible "perfect" rob you of the growth that only comes from hitting "publish".

Give it all you have, every single time, and don't be afraid to share it.