5 steps to overcome perfectionism

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The story begins on that day when you woke up early, brewed your favorite cup of coffee, and felt that surge of excitement—you were finally ready to start your dream project. This was the project that could make you a millionaire... or at least put you on the path to achieving all the dreams you had built up to that moment. 

But as soon as you sit down to start working, the questions begin. 
Which framework should I use? 
Should I go with React because it’s simple, or Next.js because it’s cool? Maybe I should even explore Vue.js? 
Wait, is there a new version of Next.js? 
What about the rest of the tech stack? 
Should I design while coding or design everything first? 
And finally: Maybe I just need a nap so I can wake up early and tackle it all properly tomorrow! 

This cycle is familiar—and it’s more common than you think. There’s absolutely no shame in admitting it. In fact, acknowledging that this happens is the first step toward overcoming it. 

Today, I want to share five steps that have personally helped me and that I continue to apply every day—whether I'm studying, working, or starting a new project. Since I’m a developer, I’ll use programming examples to illustrate these points. But don't worry: even if you're not a developer or only have basic programming knowledge, I’ll keep the examples simple and easy to follow.

Firstly, let’s set reasonable goals

Perfectionists often hold themselves to unreasonable standards, which can lead them to set unrealistic goals. One effective strategy to overcome perfectionism is to focus on setting more attainable and SMART goals. 

When our goals are realistic and appropriately challenging, we experience much less stress and feel more confident in our ability to achieve them. 

The key is to stay realistic when creating a real project. Of course, dream as big as you want—dreaming is essential—but at the beginning, focus on setting achievable goals. This way, you’ll be able to complete them, move forward step by step, and eventually reach the dream you started with. 

Secondly, prioritize your goals 

Once you’ve set reasonable goals, the next important step is learning to prioritize them effectively. In the excitement of starting a project, it’s tempting to try doing everything at once—building a beautiful design, adding dozens of features, making the perfect user experience from day one. But trying to do it all at once is exactly what leads to feeling overwhelmed and stuck. 

The most effective way to prioritize is by focusing on your MVP—your Minimum Viable Product. In simple terms, your MVP is the absolute smallest version of your project that still delivers value. It's not supposed to be fancy. It's supposed to work. Think about the core function your project must serve, and aim to build just that first. 

For example, if you’re creating a blogging platform, the MVP might be: users can create an account and write a post. That's it. No need for a fancy editor, social media sharing, or themes at the beginning. Those can (and should) come later. 

Once you define your MVP, set clear deadlines for each part of it. Deadlines force you to move forward even when perfectionism tries to slow you down. Even if it’s a small self-imposed deadline like “Finish user signup page by Friday,” it will create momentum and give you a sense of accomplishment. 

Prioritizing using MVP + deadlines keeps you grounded. It stops you from chasing every “cool” idea the moment it pops into your head and ensures you’re steadily building a real, working project. Steady progress is what turns ideas into real success over time. 

Thirdly, Build Step-by-Step, Not All at Once

Look, you don’t have to get every step perfectly done before moving to the next one. Perfectionism loves to whisper that you can’t move forward until everything is flawless—but that’s the fastest way to get stuck. 

Instead, break your work into small, clear steps and focus on making steady progress. 

First, study your audience. Before you build anything, take a little time to understand who you’re creating for. What do they need? What problems are you solving for them? 

Second, plan the experience. Think about how someone will move through what you're building. What’s the easiest, clearest path for them to reach their goal? 

Third, design the basic look. It doesn’t have to be stunning right away. Aim for simple, clear, and functional first—you can always polish it later. 

Then, start building. Lay down the foundation first (like setting up the structure or backend), and add the visual parts (like the frontend) afterward. Don’t worry if it looks messy at first. Messy beginnings are part of real progress. 

Again—Focus on getting the steps done, not getting them perfect. Progress beats perfection every time. At this step, you actually can start working on your project. 

Criticism is just for learning and improvement 

Let’s be honest—if you’re a perfectionist, chances are you take criticism a little too personally. It can feel like someone is pointing out your flaws, and that hits hard. But the truth is, criticism isn’t there to tear you down—it’s there to help you level up. 

When you start seeing feedback as a tool for growth instead of an attack, everything changes. Constructive criticism shows you things you might not have noticed and gives you a chance to fix them before they become bigger problems. That’s a gift, not an insult. 

Of course, not all criticism feels good in the moment. And that’s okay. You’re allowed to feel uncomfortable—but don’t let that stop you from listening. Mistakes, missteps, and rough edges are all part of the journey. They don't mean you’re failing; they mean you’re learning. 

The next time someone points something out, try to pause and remind yourself: this is just part of getting better. You’re not supposed to be perfect—you’re supposed to be growing. 

Criticism isn’t a sign you’re not good enough—it’s proof that you’re getting better every step of the way.

Simply Put, Progress Means Leaving Perfectionism Behind 

If you really want to make progress, you have to accept that perfection isn’t the goal—movement is. Waiting until everything feels perfect will only keep you stuck in the same spot. It’s like wanting to build a full web app but refusing to start because you don’t have the perfect color palette or the most optimized database structure. Guess what? No one ever got their dream project off the ground by waiting for "perfect." They started messy, learned along the way, and improved as they moved forward. 

Instead of obsessing over getting every small thing just right, focus on building piece by piece. Launch that simple version of your app. Maybe your homepage isn’t flawless yet—no problem. Maybe your backend could be cleaner—great, you’ll improve it later. Real progress comes from creating, shipping, and then learning from the real world, not just planning endlessly inside your head. 

Perfection can wait—progress can’t. 

Finally 

Be brave enough to start before you feel totally ready. Make mistakes, get feedback, fix things, and keep going. Every step forward, even if it’s a little wobbly, is still a step closer to your dream. 

Now, it’s time to start working on your dream project ;)