Imagine you\u2019re standing in front of a door. Behind it lies something you\u2019ve been longing for \u2013 a new project, a career change, a conversation you\u2019ve wanted to have for a long time. You\u2019ve already got your hand on the door handle. And then you think: Not yet. First I need to be one hundred per cent sure. First, the whole plan needs to be in place. First, I need to know that it will work without a hitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Weeks go by like that. Sometimes months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In my work with people going through processes of change, I come across this pattern very often. It goes by various names \u2013 perfectionism, high standards, meticulousness \u2013 but the effect is always the same: it prevents us from taking that first step and harnessing our creative potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anyone who is constantly driven by the need to find the perfect solution uses up a great deal of their mental energy before anything is even put into practice. Every idea is turned over and over in their mind ten times. Every decision is reviewed yet again. It feels like diligence \u2013 but it is often just the fear of making mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The problem with this is that as long as we merely think, not only do we fail to achieve anything, but we also receive no genuine feedback. We go round in circles with our own assumptions, without ever testing them against reality. And the longer this cycle goes on, the greater the perceived pressure becomes that the result really must be right. It\u2019s a vicious circle that doesn\u2019t bring us any closer to our goal, but takes us further away from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s a thought that might help you get your ideas off the ground more quickly: there\u2019s no such thing as a permanent \u201eperfect\u201c. Everything around us \u2013 markets, relationships, knowledge, ourselves \u2013 is in a state of constant flux. What\u2019s seen as the ideal solution today may well be outdated by tomorrow, simply because the circumstances have changed or we\u2019ve learnt something new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perfection, then, is an illusion. At best, it is a snapshot of a moment in which something happens to suit the current circumstances. As soon as circumstances change, what was once believed to be perfect may no longer be of any use at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So anyone waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect solution or the perfect version is waiting for something that simply cannot exist in the long term. This realisation can seem sobering at first. In fact, however, it is liberating: if perfection is, in any case, merely a fleeting moment, waiting for it loses its meaning. What remains is the question of whether something is \u201egood enough for now and safe enough to try\u201c.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The third point: the fear of not being perfect straight away often keeps us trapped exactly where we actually want to get out of. In our comfort zone. We don\u2019t dare to try something new, to follow an impulse or a gut feeling \u2013 because we haven\u2019t yet thought everything through down to the last detail and fully grasped all the potential risks. Yet it is precisely this reluctance to try things out that prevents us from unlocking new potential, breaking new ground and developing further \u2013 in a way that is true to ourselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Playful experimentation \u2013 consciously allowing for mistakes, for first attempts, for things that are \u201enot quite there yet\u201c \u2013 is where real growth takes place. It is not the finished, well-thought-out plan, but the imperfect first step from which one can learn what comes next \u2013 at one\u2019s own pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you wait until everything feels right and safe, you\u2019ll miss out on the very experiences that take you there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is another aspect hidden behind the mask of perfection: the fear of being rejected for an unfinished idea. Many people don\u2019t dare to share their initial, still-shaky thoughts in a brainstorming session or feedback round \u2013 for fear that the gaps and flaws in the idea will reflect badly on them. They prefer to keep refining it in silence until \u201eeverything is watertight and nothing can go wrong\u201c. The result: the idea remains isolated. We miss out on the benefits of co-creation and the momentum that arises from it, which can help carry such an idea forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet the value of a brainstorming session lies precisely in presenting an idea at an early stage, whilst it is still unpolished. The sooner you receive genuine feedback, the less time you\u2019ll waste going down the wrong path. What helps here is not just more courage, but the right context. If you make it clear from the outset what stage an idea is at, this prevents the other person from having unrealistic expectations \u2013 and relieves you of the pressure to have to deliver a finished result straight away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are a few phrases that might help:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These phrases do something crucial: they shift the yardstick by which the idea is measured. It\u2019s not \u201eis that good enough?\u201c, but \u201eare we heading in the right direction?\u201c. This renders criticism of the unfinished version unnecessary \u2013 and creates space for honest, early feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The solution does not lie in completely abandoning one\u2019s own expectations. Rather, it lies in refocusing them: away from the expectation of a perfect result, and towards the expectation of simply getting started and recognising the journey itself as a teacher and source of inspiration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next time you\u2019re planning something, ask yourself: What would be a first, imperfect step I could take today? And then see what happens when you actually take it \u2013 rather than just planning it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Growth doesn\u2019t come from a finished plan. It comes from taking action, from trying things out, from making adjustments. And sometimes, it also comes from consciously letting go of the question of whether it\u2019s already perfect enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWould you like to boost your impact? Book an introductory meeting<\/a>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019d like to explore this topic in more depth and recognise and harness your heart as a sparring partner for your effectiveness, feel free to delve into my \u201eHerz \u00fcber Kopf\u201c podcast\u201c<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMy podcast \u201eHerz \u00fcber Kopf\u201c, with more ideas to help you get into the flow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n