(Photo: At Yellow Edge Unconference – Sketch Out Loud)
When was the last time perfectionism stopped you from taking action? As a facilitator, I recently faced this question when asked to facilitate a workshop on sketch notes. My immediate response? “I’m not an expert.” Sound familiar?
The Perfectionism Trap
Despite regularly creating sketch notes and mind maps and having experience in graphic recording and facilitation, when asked recently to facilitate a workshop on sketch notes at the Yellow Edge Unconference, I hesitated. My mind raced to all the specialists who could do it better. Perfectionism and judgement were ready for me with a full arsenal of excuses.
The Turning Point
The team at Yellow Edge challenged my thinking: “Your approach makes you the perfect person to show others it’s possible to build these skills.” They weren’t looking for perfection – they wanted someone who could demonstrate the power of experimentation in how we present and communicate in a visual way. Yellow Edge challenged me, helped shift my mindset, and I accepted their challenge.
From Expert to Explorer
Letting go of the need to be the “expert” transformed my approach. I realised I was letting perfectionism and expertism get in the way of progressing an idea and progressing myself. I recognised I’d constrained myself into a particular box. Sometimes constraints are helpful, and other times, we need to break free. This was one of those times to free myself from the pain of perfectionism and experiment with what was possible.
So, I let go of the pressure to be perfect. I dove into the topic, explored it and thought about how to communicate and facilitate a playful, interactive and experimental session for the audience.
The result? I ran the session and had great feedback. Was it perfect? I think it was perfectly imperfect, and more than anything, I progressed an idea and my thinking. I’d call that perfect progress.
The Bigger Picture
This experience reflected a pattern I’ve noticed in leadership workshops:
- Teams start strong with open exploration, throwing out ideas and experimenting.
- Perfectionism creeps in during decision-making, creating narratives and taking action.
- Spontaneity is stifled and progress stalls as people seek the “right” answer.
- Innovation dies under the weight of getting it “right.”
This change in energy and self-imposed pressure to get every word and move right begins to get in the way of making progress.
Breaking Free: How to shift from perfectionism to experimentism?
Working with leaders, I share my experience of holding back with perfectionism, and suggest we shift our mindset from “getting it perfect” to a mindset of experimentism. Instead of aiming for a polished, final product immediately, we focus on iterating, getting things down without editing, without judgement, and not getting stuck in the minutiae.
Creating something that can evolve takes the pressure off and helps ideas start flowing again. By releasing the need for everything to be perfect, we make space for spontaneity, creativity and progress. I see this as having an iterative prototype mindset.
Progress Over Perfection
Reflecting on these experiences, it became clear. Perfectionism isn’t just personal it can be a collective struggle and creates a barrier to progress. The more we focus on perfecting the details, the more we risk suffocating our imagination and sight of the bigger picture. By embracing imperfection, we open the door to curiosity, experimentation and innovation. Progress isn’t about getting everything perfect from the start; it’s about moving forward, testing, learning, and evolving.
Your reflection question:
Consider this:
Your turn! As you reflect on your own work and projects, where is perfectionism holding you back? What project or idea are you holding back because it’s not “perfect” yet?
Could shifting from a perfectionism mindset to an experimentism mindset help you make progress?
Here are a few ideas that might help:
- Reframe the Question: Instead of “How can I make this perfect?” Ask: “What would progress look like right now?”
- Honour imperfection: Notice moments in your day when imperfection leads to breakthroughs. Make “little bets” – small experiments with low risk. Celebrate your own and others imperfect attempts and build momentum through iteration.
- Invite Collaboration: Perfectionism thrives in isolation. Share early drafts. Welcome diverse perspectives and use feedback as fuel for improvement.
As always, I’m here to support you in creating positive change. Share your experiences with perfectionism, experimentism and progress; I’d love to hear how you are transforming this challenge into an opportunity for growth.
Wishing you a year of possibility, growth, and moments that matter.
Yours creatively,
Cathryn
Ps. I invite you to explore how we can collaborate by downloading my 5 Essential Steps to Catalyse Change guide HERE.