I sometimes imagine that I have a sign in my office, just above the door, that says “Perfection is the enemy of progress.” I am drawn to this idea a lot, especially when I talk with people who are hard on themselves, who discount their own small but sincere efforts as insufficient, or who, sometimes, describe themselves as lazy, incompetent, or unfocused. They are, of course, none of these. If anything, in fact, they are usually exactly the opposite. Hard-working, goal-directed and applied, they tend toward the belief that if they can’t give it their all, there’s no sense even trying. The thing is, that’s not true, not even slightly. Continue reading →