“Perfectionism isn’t about high standards. It’s about being so afraid of ‘not good enough’ that you end up with ‘not done at all.’ And honey, ‘not done’ isn’t a genre.”
— L.A. Walton, The Book Maven
Let’s have a moment of radical honesty, shall we? Perfectionism is not a flex. It is not a badge of honor. It is not what you put on your resume under ‘weaknesses’ during a job interview to sound impressive. Perfectionism is fear in a designer outfit, and it is robbing you of everything you’re meant to create.
I know because it almost robbed me too. Twenty-five years ago, I sat on a manuscript for an entire year because I couldn’t get the first chapter ‘right.’ You know what happened while I was polishing that chapter for the four-hundredth time? Other people were publishing books. Imperfect, messy, glorious books. That people were actually reading.
The Perfectionism Cycle (A Horror Story in Four Acts)
Perfectionism doesn’t just slow you down. It runs a full psychological operation on your creative life. Here’s how the cycle works:
| Stage | What Happens | What You Tell Yourself |
| 1. The Spark | You get a brilliant idea and feel inspired. | ‘This could be THE one!’ |
| 2. The Start | You begin writing/creating with enthusiasm. | ‘I’m going to make this perfect.’ |
| 3. The Spiral | You re-read, re-edit, re-think, re-do everything. | ‘It’s not ready yet. One more pass.’ |
| 4. The Stall | You stop working entirely or abandon the project. | ‘Maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all.’ |
Sound familiar? You’re not alone. This cycle has derailed more creative careers than bad Wi-Fi and Netflix combined.
What Perfectionism Actually Costs You
- Time you will never get back — hours, weeks, months, sometimes years spent polishing something nobody has seen yet.
- Opportunities that passed you by while you were ‘getting it right’ — that anthology, that open submission, that podcast guest slot.
- Your confidence, which gets weaker every time you don’t finish something.
- Your joy — because creating was supposed to be fun, remember?
- The people who need your story, your song, your art, your words RIGHT NOW — and can’t access them because you won’t ship.
The Book Maven’s Anti-Perfectionism Protocol
Here’s what I tell every single one of my 8,400+ clients: Done is a draft. Perfect is a fantasy. And fantasies don’t get published, produced, performed, or paid for.
When perfectionism starts whispering, I want you to ask yourself one question: ‘Am I making this better, or am I just making this slower?’ If the answer is slower, step away from the red pen and let the work breathe.
Your first draft is supposed to be messy. Your first recording is supposed to be rough. Your first anything is supposed to be imperfect. That’s not failure — that’s the process. And the process is what separates professionals from dreamers.
Your Move, Creative
Right now, think of the project you’ve been ‘perfecting’ into oblivion. The one gathering dust in your documents folder, the one you keep saying you’ll finish ‘when it’s ready.’ Here’s your official Book Maven permission slip: it’s ready enough. Send it. Post it. Submit it. Share it. Let it be imperfect and let it be OUT THERE.
Because a messy, published, imperfect piece of work will always matter more than a pristine masterpiece that nobody ever gets to experience.
Stop letting your stories stay stuck.
