I’ve fought perfectionism my whole life.

In my early agency days, I wore it like a badge of honor. I’d spend hours fine-tuning copy, adjusting visuals, and reworking presentations. I convinced myself it was about excellence — about doing things “right.” But it wasn’t. It was fear.

I was afraid of releasing something that might fail, that might not measure up, that might invite criticism. So I kept refining, delaying, improving. The project was never quite “ready.”

Over time, I realized something uncomfortable: perfectionism isn’t a virtue — it’s a vice disguised as one.

Perfectionism keeps us stuck in endless loops of “almost.” It hides behind noble-sounding excuses:

“I just want to make sure it’s the best it can be.”
“We’ll launch once we have all the data.”
“Let’s wait until we get this one last piece right.”

Sound familiar?

The problem is, there’s always one more tweak. New information is always coming. The goalposts keep moving. And while perfectionism waits for the right moment, excellence quietly moves forward.

That’s the difference between the two:

• Excellence learns through execution.

• Perfectionism postpones progress.

Excellence says, “Let’s launch, then improve.”
Perfectionism says, “Let’s improve, then launch.”

Every successful campaign, product, and initiative I’ve ever led had rough edges in version one. But they got sharper, smarter, and more effective because they were out there doing their job — not collecting digital dust in draft mode.

The pursuit of excellence will grow your reputation.
The pursuit of perfection will suffocate your momentum.

So if you find yourself hesitating on that proposal, sermon, or campaign because it’s not “ready,” ask yourself this:
Is it really not ready — or am I just afraid?

Because the difference between good enough to launch and perfect is usually the difference between making an impact and making excuses.

Leadership Reflection:
Your team doesn’t need perfect leadership. They need courageous leadership — the kind that models movement over hesitation. Excellence is iterative. Progress is holy. Release it, learn from it, and make it better next time.