We all want to do our best. Especially if you’re a creative person, it’s natural to aim high. But chasing unrealistic perfection can hold you back. It wastes time, kills motivation, and often leads nowhere. Instead of working smarter, you end up working endlessly. Here’s a better way to move forward with your creative work.
Understand Perfection Isn’t Always Real
There’s a kind of perfection that just isn’t possible. Like an airbrushed model on a billboard, it looks flawless but doesn’t exist in real life. You might try to match that level in your work, fine-tuning every detail, checking every pixel, but it becomes a never-ending chase. That kind of perfection is a mirage, not a goal.
Ask yourself, “What level of quality is reasonable here?” If you’re stuck tweaking the same thing for hours, you’ve probably gone too far. Know when to stop.
Work With the 70% Rule
Aim for what’s called the minimum viable product. This doesn’t mean settling for bad work. It means getting things to a solid 70–80% mark where it’s good enough to use or share, and then moving on. You can always come back to polish later.
In game development, there’s something called the 90/90 rule: the first 90% takes 90% of the time. The last 10%? That takes another 90%. The lesson is clear: perfection costs time. And it may not be worth it.
Know What “Finished” Looks Like
Be clear about your goals before you begin. Instead of saying, “I’m going to make a track,” decide, “I’m making a short intro loop to create the atmosphere for a puzzle game.” That kind of detail keeps you focused.
If you’re an artist, ask yourself: “Am I solving the client’s problem?” Or are you just endlessly rearranging shapes? By knowing what your work needs to do, not just what it could be, you’ll know when it’s finished.
Use Timers to Avoid Time Sinks
Losing track of time is easy when you’re in flow. You tweak one setting, then another… next thing you know, it’s midnight. Using a simple pomodoro timer can help you set limits. Try giving yourself 10 minutes to make a sound or adjust a layout.
These small time boxes create urgency and help you track how long different tasks really take. You’ll start learning how to plan better, and finish more.
Don’t Aim for a Masterpiece Every Time
You’re not just as good as your last piece of work. Your creative journey is about the whole body of work. A single bad video or song won’t break you.
There’s a story about pottery students: one group had to make one perfect pot. The other made as many as they could. In the end, the second group created better work. Why? Because repetition builds skill faster than endless polish.
Do the work. Then do it again. That’s how you grow.
Take Breaks to Fight Fatigue
In music, there’s something called ear fatigue. After hours of work, your ears stop hearing problems. You think something sounds great, until you listen the next day and it sounds off.
The same thing happens in any creative field. You get tunnel vision. To fix this, take regular breaks. Walk away, stretch, have a coffee. Then come back with fresh eyes or ears. You’ll spot things you missed before, and avoid going in circles.
Let Go of Perfect, Embrace Progress
Perfection isn’t the point, progress is. Chasing impossible standards will drain your time and energy. Learning through trial and error is far more valuable. Mistakes show you what doesn’t work, and help you build something better next time.
Creativity isn’t about being flawless. It’s about doing the work, learning as you go, and getting a little better with each project.
Thank you for reading, and if you found a part of this useful. Share so it can help others.
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