Chapter 22: Progress Over Perfect

Imani Rhodes

Let me take you back to my first open mic night. I was nineteen, clutching a poem I’d rewritten so many times the paper was soft as a napkin. I got up there, voice shaking, and—well, I stumbled. I lost my place, skipped a stanza, and my ending was... let’s call it “experimental.” But you know what? That messy, imperfect reading was the moment I actually became a writer. Not because it was good, but because I finally let go of trying to be flawless and just shared something real. Miles, why do you think perfectionism feels so safe, even though it’s actually holding us back?

Miles Carter

Yeah, I think it’s that illusion of control, right? If I can just get it perfect nobody can criticize me. But the research is pretty clear—Curran and Hill’s meta-analysis found perfectionism’s on the rise, especially among high achievers, and it’s not making us better. It’s making us anxious, burned out, and less likely to finish-anything. Socially prescribed perfectionism—worrying about disappointing others—is especially rough. It’s like, the more we chase perfect, the more we stall out.

Imani Rhodes

Exactly. And the Zeigarnik Effect—our brains obsess over unfinished tasks. So when we’re stuck in perfection mode, we’re actually stressing ourselves out twice: first by not having it perfect, and then by ruminating on what’s not done. - But there’s this dopamine hit when you actually complete something, even if it’s not perfect. That’s what builds momentum.

Miles Carter

That’s why Jon Acuff’s advice in his book called -"Finish” sticks with me—he says, “The day after perfect is the most important day of a goal.” Most people quit not because they failed, but because they didn’t meet their own impossible standard. I had a client, super sharp, who kept rewriting a project proposal. I finally told him, “Send the rough draft. Let’s see what happens.” He did, and the feedback he got actually moved the project forward. If he’d waited for perfect, he’d still be stuck.

Imani Rhodes

I love that. And it’s not about lowering the bar—it’s about raising your standard for progress, not perfection. Like we talked about in our “Words That Raise the Room” episode, the language we use with ourselves matters. If your inner voice is always a critic, you’ll never feel safe enough to try, let alone finish. So, what if we celebrated small wins instead of flawless outcomes?

Miles Carter

Well - we'd move things forward. So Let’s get tactical. I want to introduce the “Two-Hour Rule.” Don’t spend more than two hours on any single deliverable without hitting send, showing progress, or asking for feedback. It’s a game-changer for anyone who gets stuck tweaking and tweaking. Imani, wanna demonstrate this?

Imani Rhodes

Absolutely. Okay, I’ll be the perfectionist. “Miles, I’m on my fourth rewrite of this project update. I just want it to sound better.”

Miles Carter

“Send the third one. We need results, not haikus.”

Imani Rhodes

AAAh, Mmm. That’s painfully real. And it’s not just about speed—it’s about building trust. Google’s Project Aristotle found that psychological safety, not perfection, is what makes teams high-performing. When people feel safe to make mistakes, they iterate faster and get better results.

Miles Carter

Exactly. That’s why I love the Write. Ship. Reflect-routine. Do the work, deliver—even if it’s a draft—then reflect: “Here’s what worked, here’s what didn’t.” It’s how you get better, not just busier. And if you look at legendary coaches like Nick Saban or Pat Summitt, they don’t obsess over perfect games. They focus on daily effort, rapid feedback, and getting a little better every time. That’s what creates champions.

Imani Rhodes

And it’s not just sports. I’ve seen restaurant owners launch a seasonal menu draft, get feedback from customers and staff, then "improve-it if it needs-it". Or HR pros post a job with the basics and update as resumes come in. Progress over perfection is everywhere if you look for it. So, for everyone listening—what’s one thing you could submit at 90% today, instead of waiting for-100%?

Miles Carter

Take this book, for example. Each chapter is being built and improved live. We don’t wait for perfect. We publish, listen, revise, and keep making it better based on your feedback. The goal isn’t flawless—it’s useful. And that only happens by doing, not just dreaming. If your still unsure how to shift into this mindset, try the Two-Hour Rule. Block off two hours. Push as far as you can. Then ship it. Don’t wait for polish—get momentum. You’ll be surprised what gets better once it’s in motion. Most of the time, nobody’s looking for perfect—they’re looking for progress. Progress over perfection. It's one of the foundational phrases you learned at the beginning of this-book. And RJ addresses this in one of his raw videos; “Some tasks don’t need progress—they need precision. If you’re mopping a floor, just do it right. Nobody wants a ‘90% clean’ lobby. But for creative work, problem-solving, or anything without a clear standard, progress beats perfection—ship it, learn, and improve.”

Imani Rhodes

Great point. So let’s talk about the cycle that traps so many of us: perfectionism triggers procrastination, which fuels anxiety and self-doubt. It’s like a hamster wheel you can’t get off. Seth Godin calls it “resistance”—that voice that says, “Don’t start until you’re sure.” And Tim Ferriss talks about “fear-setting”—naming your worst-case scenario so it loses its power. Miles, how do you see people break out of this loop?

Miles Carter

It starts with setting realistic goals. Break big projects into smaller, doable steps. I use time blocking—just like the Two-Hour Rule. And I reframe mistakes as learning moments, not failures. I’ll give you a real example: when I launched my coaching website, I found a typo on the homepage the next day. My first instinct was panic, but you know what? Clients still signed up. The world didn’t end. In fact, it made me more relatable. Sometimes “shipped, not perfect” is the best marketing you can do.

Imani Rhodes

That’s so true. And self-compassion is huge. If you treat yourself like you’d treat a friend—acknowledging effort, not just outcome—you’re way more likely to keep going. The research backs this up: self-compassion beats self-criticism every time for performance improvement. And for teams, psychological safety is everything. If people feel safe to share rough drafts or admit mistakes, you get more innovation, more engagement, and way less burnout.

Miles Carter

So here’s our challenge for you: What’s one thing you could “ship” this week, even if it’s not perfect? And how can you help your team celebrate progress, not just perfection? Share your stories in the community—maybe it’s a messy proposal you finally sent, a project you finished at 90%, or a lesson you learned from a not-so-great first try.

Imani Rhodes

And don’t just listen—act. The action items are what make this stick in the real world. Try the Two-Hour Rule, or the Write - Ship - Reflect routine. Post your “shipped, not perfect” moments in the comments. Ask for feedback, share what you learned, or just say, “Hey, I finally finished that thing I was stuck on.” The community is here to support you, and your story might be exactly what someone else needs to hear.

Miles Carter

Yeah, don’t wait for perfect. Progress is what pays off. We want you to be the best, not the most flawless. So get out there, do the work, and let us know how it goes.