Stephanie Iken, Attorney at Law

One of the best lessons I ever learned came from my old boss. I was obsessing over a project, re-reading every line, fixing tiny things no one else would ever notice. He looked at me and said, “Stephanie, perfection is the enemy of good enough.”

I laughed at first, but he was right.

I used to believe that if I just worked a little longer, rephrased one more sentence, or found a better word, the final product would somehow be perfect. What actually happened was that I’d spend twice as long on something that was already finished.

Since then, I’ve realized that “good enough” doesn’t mean lazy or careless. It means knowing when something meets its purpose. It means having the confidence to stop polishing and start moving.

When I began to apply that mindset, my productivity doubled. I started turning things in sooner. I created more, worried less, and had the space to start new projects instead of endlessly tinkering with old ones.

Perfection is a trap disguised as excellence. The pursuit of it will keep you circling the same task forever. “Good enough” is freedom. It’s the permission to finish, to trust your instincts, and to keep creating.

Sometimes, done really is better than perfect.