Setting Goals Without Perfectionism—Here’s Why It Matters
You’ve probably been there—staring at a big goal, crafting the perfect plan, and telling yourself, “I’ll start when everything is just right.” But what happens? You get stuck. Overthinking takes over, progress stalls, and before you know it, you’re caught in the loop of waiting for the perfect moment.
Many believe that setting high, flawless standards guarantees success. If you meticulously plan every detail, avoid mistakes, and ensure everything goes exactly as intended, you’ll achieve your goals faster. But the truth? Perfectionism doesn’t help you move forward—it holds you back.
Why Letting Go of Perfection Makes a Difference
Releasing perfectionism in goal-setting isn’t about lowering your standards. It’s about shifting your mindset so that progress, rather than perfection, becomes the focus. Here’s why it matters:
1. Perfectionism Leads to Paralysis
When you aim for flawless execution, you hesitate to take action unless you feel 100% ready. This constant hesitation means you spend more time refining and less time doing. Once you accept that messy action is better than no action, you’ll start making real progress.
2. Growth Comes From Imperfect Action
The biggest lessons in life and business don’t come from executing something perfectly the first time. They come from trial and error—from tweaking, adjusting, and refining as you go. Setting a goal isn’t about doing everything perfectly; it’s about staying committed even when things don’t go as planned.
3. Perfectionism Drains Joy and Motivation
When you set a goal and focus on doing it perfectly, you may find yourself constantly stressed, overwhelmed, and exhausted. The pressure to be perfect takes the joy out of the process. But when you give yourself permission to aim for progress rather than perfection, you’ll feel more energized and excited about your goals.
4. Progress Builds Confidence
Taking imperfect steps helps build confidence in your abilities. Each small win reinforces that you’re capable, even if you don’t have all the answers upfront. Over time, you’ll realize that confidence isn’t something you wait for—it’s something you build through action.
A Personal Struggle: Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking
One of the biggest areas where perfectionism held me back was public speaking. I noticed my resistance to putting myself out there, and it became a stumbling block to my business growth. The fear of making mistakes, being judged, and feeling shame weighed heavily on me, all stemming from past experiences.
Then, one morning, I heard someone on a podcast talk about this struggle. They reminded me that whenever we embark on something new in life, we are beginners. Expecting ourselves to be perfect from the start is unrealistic and, frankly, a little silly.
That perspective resonated deeply with me. But I also realized something else—overcoming fear isn’t just about shifting my mindset. It requires self-care and creating safety in my body. Mindset shifts alone wouldn’t cut it. Action strategies and willpower alone wouldn’t do it either. I had to allow myself to feel the emotions tied to my fear, to process them, and to create a sense of safety within myself before I could move forward.
So, I spent a weekend journaling about my fears—what they were, why they existed, and where they came from. I realized that I had been avoiding feeling certain emotions connected to past experiences, and those unresolved feelings were fueling my perfectionism.
I also used EFT tapping during this process. Tapping has been an incredibly powerful tool for shifting stuck emotions that often remain unconscious. It helped me process the fear in my body rather than just rationalizing it in my mind. While I’ll dive deeper into tapping in a future blog post, I want to highlight how transformative it can be in creating emotional safety.
This doesn’t mean I’ve completely overcome this part of me. But it does mean I’ve increased my emotional resilience and taken one more step toward action. And that’s when I heard the podcast on being a beginner—right at the moment I needed to hear it.
How You Can Set Goals Without Perfectionism
If perfectionism has been holding you back, here are a few ways to shift your approach:
Set a "good enough" starting point. Begin with what you have and improve as you go.
Take messy action. Done is better than perfect. Keep moving, even if it’s not flawless.
Redefine success. Success isn’t about perfection—it’s about consistent progress.
Create emotional safety. Allow yourself to feel and process emotions tied to fear rather than suppressing them.
Try EFT tapping. It can help shift unconscious emotional blocks and bring a sense of calm and confidence.
Celebrate small wins. Recognizing progress keeps you motivated.
You don’t need to be perfect to reach your goals. You just need to start. So, what’s one thing you’ve been waiting to do perfectly? Take a step today, and trust that you’ll figure it out along the way.
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