Slingshot Weekly (8/27/25) | Progress Over Perfection

You’ve probably heard the phrase: “Done is better than perfect.” But when it’s your name on the line - your project, your dream, your decision - it’s easier said than lived.

Perfection has a way of sneaking in quietly. It shows up as endless drafts you never post. Plans you never share. Opportunities you pass up because you think you’re not “ready enough.” It whispers: Wait until you know more. Wait until it’s flawless. Wait until you can guarantee success. But here’s the truth: we rarely feel ready. The world doesn’t wait for you to feel flawless - it meets you when you show up in motion. Some of the most impactful things you’ll ever do won’t be polished. They’ll be real.

Think about the first time you tried something new. Maybe your voice cracked during a presentation. Maybe your timing was off in a game or performance. Maybe your first attempt at writing, painting, or leading felt shaky. But you did it. And that doing - that imperfect first step - became the foundation for what came next.

Perfection, on the other hand, keeps you rehearsing. It convinces you that if you just wait a little longer, practice a little more, prepare a little better, then you’ll finally be “ready.” But readiness doesn’t come from rehearsing. It comes from engaging. Progress teaches you. Every attempt, every stumble, every imperfect rep builds the muscle of growth. The truth is, confidence doesn’t arrive before you begin - it’s created through the act of beginning. Growth lives in the reps. Confidence comes from effort. Every small, imperfect action today is a seed your future self will thank you for planting.

History gives us countless reminders of this. Thomas Edison didn’t perfect the light bulb on his first try - it took over a thousand attempts. Writers rarely publish their first draft; athletes rarely win their first game. Even leaders you admire most were once beginners, fumbling through early steps. What separates them from those still waiting isn’t perfection - it’s willingness.

So if you find yourself stuck - waiting for the perfect plan, the perfect words, the perfect moment - consider this your permission to begin anyway. Not because it’s perfect, but because it matters.

You don’t need to get it right. You just need to get it going.

Reflection Questions:

1. Can you think of a time when “imperfect action” taught you more than waiting would have?

2. How might your future self thank you for starting now rather than waiting?

3. What would it look like to value progress over perfection this week?