Perfectionism can leave us anxious, depressed, and prone to burnout. And it’s on the rise, particularly amongst young people. Researchers studying the mental health of college students in the UK, US, and Canada found that perfectionism is on the rise.

What’s more, the perceived benefits of perfectionism, such as higher performance and flawless work, aren’t supported by evidence. A study analyzing 40 years’ worth of research on perfectionism found no link between perfectionism and performance.

Perfectionism is often more of a weakness than an asset. It can leave us and the people around us, like our friends, coworkers, or family members, miserable. A healthier relationship with the outcomes of our endeavors is needed. Qualities like perseverance and consistency determine success far more than flawless execution.

Here are six quotes about perfectionism to help reframe this concept.

#1 | “Perfection is the enemy of progress.”

Winston Churchill

Slow and steady work is often the driving force behind progress on our goals. Having the discipline to do a little bit each day, even if it’s not perfect, will enable you to get much more done in the long run.

#2 | “Done is better than perfect because perfect is never done.”

Sheryl Sandberg

Analysis paralysis is the worst. When we overthink and obsess over achieving perfection, even with things as small as an email, we don’t get as much done. Embrace doing something “well enough” and move on with the rest of your to-do list.

#3 | “The perfectionism is very dangerous. Because of course if your fidelity to perfectionism is too high, you never do anything. Because doing anything results in… it’s actually kind of tragic because you sacrifice how gorgeous and perfect it is in your head for what it really is.”

David Foster Wallace

Perfection is possible only in our heads. Once we endeavor to create something, be it a book, a project, or a team culture, we must face reality and all of its constraints. These include time, our skills, and other people’s preferences, just to name a few. This can be frustrating, but once we’re willing to accept that the real thing will almost never be quite as good as what we pictured, we can get on with the work and accomplish what we set out to do.

#4 | “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”

Voltaire

If we always aim for perfection, we’re likely to miss deadlines, frustrate our coworkers, and miss opportunities. Instead, we should think critically about what “good enough” would look like.

#5 | “Have no fear of perfection. You’ll never reach it.”

Salvador Dali

Perfection is unattainable because, among other reasons, it’s subjective. What’s perfect to you may look deeply flawed to me. Opinions change over time, too. Something viewed as a masterpiece today may be entirely forgotten in a generation or two.

#6 | “Perfectionism doesn’t believe in practice shots. It doesn’t believe in improvement. Perfectionism has never heard that anything worth doing is worth doing badly and that if we allow ourselves to do something badly we might in time become quite good at it.”

Julia Cameron

Often, learning depends on our willingness to be bad at something. Unfortunately, our tolerance for this experience seems to diminish with age. There’s nothing to fear from doing something poorly. We need to give ourselves permission to muck it up and get curious about how we can do it better next time.