Why adopting a progress over perfection mindset transforms professional effectiveness
I can hear the tumble of the dryer in the background as I write this. It’s time for laundry… again.
The Oreo Problem: Why ‘Done’ Doesn’t Exist in Professional Life
When I was much younger, Phyllis Diller (comedienne) said that keeping a house clean while you raise children is like brushing your teeth while you eat an Oreo. I loved that attitude; it gave me permission to not care too much about a clean house. Honestly, I just couldn’t fight four other humans plus two or more animals to keep things in their place and clean. I succumbed to the resignation that we wouldn’t live in a featured house for Home & Garden magazine. Now that I am retired … I think I may have to face the music. Sigh.
But, I think laundry is similar to the Oreo analogy. It never feels “done” because there is new stuff already collecting (the clothes we are currently wearing). Sigh. I’ve come to a point of peace with these things, but it has made me move my finish line.
Professional development is the same. There’s always new learning, new challenges, new skills to develop. It can feel like a moving target so you will never catch up.
Shifting Your Mindset: Better Than Yesterday Beats Perfect Tomorrow
I know I cannot focus on the “done” part of professional growth because then I will go nuts. Since it feels impossible to ever reach the goal of being the “perfect” professional, I have opted to approach it differently. I tend to see both my professional development and daily work as “better than yesterday” mentality now. It prevents me from the inevitable anguish of the exact same challenges re-appearing on my to-do list before I have completely mastered them.
So, as I look backward to see accomplishment rather than looking forward to an achieved goal – I have satisfaction and achievement. It puts my focus on strategic professional progress instead of completion or perfection. This progress over perfection mindset has transformed how I approach everything in my professional life.
Breaking Free from Perfectionist Professional Patterns
If we’ve been high achievers in our careers, we spent most of our time in a mindset that celebrated the end result and reaching the goal. There was very little, if any, acknowledgment for the positive changes underway. We were just told, “You’re not there yet… keep going!” It felt overwhelming since professional mastery takes years, not months.
This kind of professional mindset shift is crucial for long-term career satisfaction and effectiveness. Like laundry and cleaning, we have to adjust our attitude about our professional growth. We have to look backward to see all the ways we are developing and improving. We need to identify and acknowledge the different skills, altered approaches, and new practices that support sustainable professional development. Even if some old reactive patterns appear, we can reset and move forward.
It makes complete sense that we would return to familiar professional habits… many have some pretty ingrained responses and behaviors attached. But, since we’re not looking forward to some “perfect” professional destination, we can accept progress over perfection.
This adjustment keeps our mindset focused on accomplishment, self-efficacy, and professional power. It also supports a new attitude that workplace decisions and responses – are just that. Decisions. Neither good nor bad, right nor wrong, or perfect or imperfect. Just strategic choices. Some of our choices support our long-term professional goals, but sometimes our choices are focused on more immediate workplace circumstances.
Progress Over Perfection: Three Ways to Acknowledge Your Professional Success
Celebrating small professional wins is essential for maintaining motivation and building career momentum. So, take a deep breath and pat yourself on the back for at least THREE new things you have done that support your professional effectiveness. Did you pause before responding to that difficult email? Did you ask clarifying questions instead of making assumptions in that meeting? Did you delegate something instead of trying to do it all yourself? See… you’re doing the strategic work. You got this!
Remember, adopting a progress over perfection mindset means recognizing that every strategic professional choice matters, even when it doesn’t feel perfect. Your professional development progress is happening one decision at a time.
Through my research and three decades of educational leadership experience, I’ve learned that the most effective professionals embrace this fundamental truth: strategic progress beats perfectionist paralysis every time. Whether you’re in healthcare, education, non-profit work, or any demanding professional field, the principles remain the same.
The Find Five Method™ that I developed helps professionals make these strategic progress choices daily. By asking five simple questions before reacting, we transform perfectionist anxiety into strategic action.
Your professional journey isn’t about reaching some mythical state of perfect competence – it’s about consistent growth, strategic thinking, and evidence-based progress. Just like laundry, professional development is an ongoing process that deserves acknowledgment for progress, not criticism for imperfection. Ready to transform your professional approach from perfectionist to strategic? The research is clear: professionals who embrace progress over perfection experience higher job satisfaction, better decision-making, and more sustainable career growth.
