Perfectionism is not a virtue. It is just procrastination wrapped in a fancy suit.
We tell ourselves, “I will start working out when I have the right shoes,” or “I will write the blog post when I have the perfect topic.”
This is a trap. Waiting for “perfect” means you never start. If you want to stop procrastinating, you need to embrace the “Do It Badly” Rule.
What Is the “Do It Badly” Rule?
The rule comes from the writer G.K. Chesterton, who famously said: “Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.”
Read that again. It sounds wrong. We are taught that if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well.
But doing it well is hard. Doing it badly is easy. And doing it badly is infinitely better than not doing it at all.
Why Lowering Your Standards Works
When you give yourself permission to do a bad job, the paralysis disappears.
- The Perfectionist: “I need to clean the whole house for 4 hours.” (Result: Too overwhelmed. Does nothing.)
- The Realist: “I will just clean the sink poorly for 2 minutes.” (Result: The sink gets clean. Momentum builds.)
Basically, you are removing the friction. Once you start doing something badly, you usually end up finishing it quite well.
3 Ways to Do Things Badly Today
1. The “Ugly Draft”
If you need to write an email or a report, commit to writing the worst version possible.
Write typos. Use bad grammar. Just get the words on the screen. You can’t edit a blank page, but you can fix a bad page in five minutes.
2. The “Lazy Workout”
Don’t try to have a “perfect” hour-long gym session.
Instead, just do 10 pushups in your pajamas. Do a bad workout. A bad workout keeps the habit alive; skipping it kills the habit.
3. The “Two-Minute” Socialize
Don’t want to go to the party for three hours? Go for 15 minutes. Show up, say hello, and leave.
Doing it “badly” (briefly) is better than ghosting your friends completely.
Conclusion
Perfectionism leads to failure. “Good enough” leads to completion.
So, go do a terrible job at something today. It is the smartest way to get things done.
Tell me in the comments: What is one thing you have been putting off because you wanted it to be perfect?
