When Good Enough Is Better: Escaping Perfectionism and Embracing High Impact
There’s a mindset shift that separates high performers from top performers. It’s not more discipline, harder work, or sharper attention to detail. It’s knowing when to let go of perfection.
Perfectionism can feel like a strength, especially early in your career. You get noticed for your precision, your thoroughness, your clean spreadsheets and beautifully written reports. You get promoted because people trust you to do things right.
That early success reinforces the habit and you start to believe your edge comes from obsessing over every detail. But here’s the catch: the traits that help you stand out as a high performer can become the very things that hold you back from becoming a top performer.
Because perfectionism does not scale.
The Cost of Over-Delivering
I’ve watched proposals refined endlessly, only to be dismissed because the core message got lost in the polish. I’ve seen teams veer off course, chasing extras that looked impressive but added no real value, wasting weeks on work no one asked for. The result? Burnout, delays, and missed opportunities because time and energy were unnecessarily spent.
This is where perfectionism stops being an asset and starts becoming a liability. The more time you spend making something “just right,” the less time you have to focus on what actually matters.
This pattern often shows up when people move from individual contributor roles into leadership. You might think, I got here because I’m a perfectionist or that’s what sets me apart. And to some extent, you’re not wrong. But once you're responsible for broader outcomes, not just individual tasks, your priorities shift. It becomes less about doing everything yourself with precision and more about knowing what to prioritize, empowering others, and keeping the bigger picture in mind.
High Performer vs. Top Performer
High performers are often defined by flawless execution. Top performers are defined by knowing when flawless execution doesn’t matter.
High performers ask: How can I get this right? What needs to be perfect here? How do I make sure there are no mistakes? What can I improve before delivering this?
Top performers ask: What’s the actual goal here? What outcome am I trying to achieve? What level of quality is truly needed? What’s the most efficient path to get there?
Top performers intuitively understand the importance of the “good enough” mindset. It’s not to suggest cutting corners or neglecting critical details, but it is about thinking strategically to determine what deserves your full effort, and what simply does not. Sometimes, the answer is delivering something 80% polished because that final 20%, the part that consumes the most time and energy, may not improve the result in any meaningful way.
Perfectionism as Avoidance
Perfectionism doesn’t always look like overworking. Sometimes, it shows up as avoidance.
Plenty of people set out to take on a new project, start a business, or create something meaningful. They have the passion, the vision, and the skills, but they get stuck. Instead of launching into action, they obsess over trivial details: the name, the logo, the font, or the pricing model before they ever land a client or make a sale.
They stay busy, which feels productive, but they’re not making meaningful progress.
That’s the trap of perfectionism: it keeps you safely focused on controllable details while helping you avoid the parts that require risk: putting your offer in front of people, testing your idea, asking for the sale, or receiving feedback that stings.
Most businesses don’t fail because the color scheme was off. They fail because the product never made it to market.
“Good enough” builds momentum while “perfect” holds back.
Moving from Precision to Perspective
So how do you shift from perfectionism to high-impact work and deeper connection? Here are a few strategies:
1. Get clear on what matters.
Before you start anything, define success. Ask: What’s the actual purpose of this task? If it’s a report that informs a decision, it doesn’t need to be a design masterpiece. It just needs to be understandable and useful.
2. Timebox your work.
Set a time limit. Give yourself 30 minutes to write that email or outline that deck. Stop letting small tasks expand to fill your entire afternoon.
3. Prioritize impact over polish.
Will one more round of editing actually change the result? If not, move on. Don’t spend hours perfecting what doesn’t matter.
4. Watch for avoidance.
Are you perfecting because it truly needs it, or are you stalling? Be honest. Perfectionism often masks fear of failure, fear of judgment, or fear of starting.
5. Practice “done” over “perfect.”
Start building tolerance for “good enough.” Submit the draft. Ship the project. Say the thing you’ve been rehearsing. Move forward and learn as you go. You’ll build momentum and free up your energy for the work and relationships that really count.
Perfectionism might have helped you stand out. But to grow, to lead, to love, to scale, to create something meaningful, it has to loosen its grip. Top performers don’t aim for perfection. They aim to be effective.
So the next time you find yourself stuck in the weeds, ask yourself: What is good enough? Sometimes, good enough is exactly what gets you to great.
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