When does one stop and call something perfect? Is it really the perfect moment or perfect thing? I guess this is a very subjective concept. Crossing the finish line might be the perfect moment. But, being the first to cross the finish line could be another person’s definition of perfect. Regardless, the danger is that one may not even start running for fear of never crossing the finish line.

There are some ways to avoid this:
1. When you stop attempting because you do not have the correct tools, not enough time, or whatever excuses just say ok, this is not going to be perfect. But, what I can I do in the next 5 minutes to move it forward? This is not going to be perfection but just progress.
2. What one sees in the perfection is only one side of the equation. The bullseye, the completed painting, the exact word in the novel, etc. The other side is the hundreds of hours to get to the perfect bullseye, the messy hands and clothes that created the perfect painting day in and day out, the minutes of agony of writing and re-writing to find that perfect word. So, perfect does not mean everything before it is perfect. You can get into the flow to get to perfect if you are lucky. It is messy before it gets to perfect. So, just start where you are.
3. Define perfect. Create a 2 column list. On the left, write down what it would look like if it were perfect. How would the steps to get there look like if all the stars and moon aligned? Now, on the right side, write down what it would look like if it were completed in a normal ordinary sense. What are the steps to get it done? Here’s where you can stop and avoid the perils of perfection by following the right-side list. But, if you wish to follow that inner desire of perfection, think, are there steps after “done” that you can do to move it to the perfect side? Now, wouldn’t that be just perfect?