Fighting Perfectionism

In the book Quitter, Jon Acuff says, "90 percent perfect and shared with the world always changes more lives than 100 percent perfect and stuck in your head."

As students, writers, and professionals, we are still learning to gauge the difference between something (essays, homework, art, etc.) that is 90 percent done or 100 percent perfect. The difference? There is no creation that will ever be 100 percent perfect outside of our minds. That's a frustrating concept, but try as we might there will always be a way to improve. It is really easy to get caught up in a self told lie: If I just add or change this one thing it'll be perfect. The reality is that this perfection we've dreamed of does not exist. It doesn't matter if it's a personal piece of art that you've created for yourself or if it's a final essay that is 35 percent of your grade...there will always be one more thing to fix.

That sounds like a trap to me. Why do we strive to be so perfect if it's unattainable? We have to reverse our own thinking. It is in our human nature to be perfect, not only perfect in who we are, but perfect in what we make. If we are never willing to let go of our work that is only 90 percent perfect, then it will simply never be read, seen, or used. Deeper than sharing your work and impacting those around you, work that is 90 percent perfect and shared with the world always out performs work that is 100 percent perfect and stuck in your head.

Specifically looking at perfectionism in the classroom, there is a very important and obvious process that directly relates to your score...turning the project/essay/homework/quiz/test in. Not turning the assignment in results in a definite zero. Turning the assignment in 90 percent perfect results in at least a grade, most likely a 90 percent. Most students don't go to this extreme. Most students will turn work in; however, most students that struggle with perfectionism, will be so stuck striving for 100 percent perfect that the work will only live in their minds. These students will procrastinate even beginning their paper or turning it in, out of fear that it won't be good enough. This procrastination will prevent you from even reaching 90 percent perfect.

This struggle does not only exist in our lives as students. Perfectionism can consume professional work and home life as well. The most prominent factor is that we have the ability to create work that is 90 percent perfect. We are flawed, and our work may be flawed. However, we are going to exponentially change more lives and empower ourselves by sharing our flawed work than we'd ever be able to do by leaving our work that is 100 percent perfect stuck in our minds.