It took me weeks to send this first newsletter from my platform.
I've been writing a newsletter on LinkedIn for two years. One hundred issues, every week (mostly). Then I decided to move the newsletter to its own platform, to own the list, and build something bigger.
And I froze.
I am the same person who already wrote a hundred issues of my Move and Groove newsletter and now I was staring at a blank screen for four weeks. I knew what I wanted to write, but I kept messing around with the design, the signup page, and welcome emails.
It wasn't perfect yet.
And I was grinding with no real output in the world.
I was using fear as a productivity mask, also known as perfectionism.
So here it is. Imperfect. Shipped anyway.
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THE SCIENCE
Bellam et al. (2025) conducted a meta-analysis across 28 studies and over 9,500 participants looking at perfectionism and work performance. They found two types of perfectionism that operate very differently.
"Perfectionistic strivings," the drive to meet high standards, correlated with better performance. That's the healthy kind. It pushes you forward.
"Perfectionistic concerns," the worry about mistakes and falling short of expectations, correlated with more hours worked but not better output. You grind longer. You produce the same or worse results. This was me.
Read that again. More hours. Same results.
The researchers found that perfectionistic concerns drive people to keep polishing instead of shipping. The fear of judgment takes over. You confuse preparation with procrastination.
THE TAKEAWAY
High standards make you better. Fear of imperfection makes you stuck. The difference matters.
The leaders who get the most done aren't the ones with the lowest standards. They're the ones who know the difference between "this could be better" and "this is ready enough." They ship. They learn. They improve the next one.
Waiting until something is perfect is just fear wearing a productivity costume.
YOUR EDGE THIS WEEK
Think of one project, email, or conversation you've been putting off because it's "not ready." Ask yourself: "am I improving it, or am I hiding?" If the answer is hiding, ship it this week. Imperfect. On purpose.
Be well,
Eric
P.S. Want to design your week for more of these breakthroughs? Try my Calendar Coding Exercise.
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