Embrace Progress Over Perfection: How to Achieve Fulfillment and Success

What if the relentless chase for perfection is the very thing holding you back? In this gripping episode, we uncover the haunting tale of Ella and the House of Perfection. Ella's journey through a cursed house that demands flawlessness from its inhabitants provides a powerful metaphor for our own struggles with perfectionism. As Ella learns to embrace small, manageable improvements, she lifts the curse, reminding us that progress, not perfection, is the true key to fulfillment and success. 

Join me, Fabio Posca, as we dissect the damaging effects of societal pressures and social media's influence on our quest for perfection. We explore real-life examples, like Elon Musk's iterative path to success, and a classroom experiment that reveals the magic of consistent effort over flawless execution. Through my personal story of starting this podcast, I share how embracing progress over perfection has fostered confidence and growth. Connect with us on Instagram and Facebook, and let's support each other on this journey towards meaningful progress and true achievement.

Chapters

• 0:26 House of Perfection
• 6:47 Progress vs Perfection
• 16:50 Embracing Progress Over Perfection

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:27

Once upon a time, in a small village, nestled in the shadow of a dark forest, there stood a house that no one dared to enter. The house was old and elegant, but over the years it had become known as the house of perfection. It was said that the house was cursed perfection. It was said that the house was cursed. Anyone who entered would be trapped in a never-ending quest for perfection, unable to live until everything was just right. Many villagers had tried to enter. Some wanted to fix the cracking floorboards, others tried to clean the dusty chandeliers, and a few even attempted to repaint the walls, but each time they were overwhelmed by the impossible task of making everything perfect. No matter how hard they worked, there was always something out of place A crooked painting, a scratch on the floor or a spider web in the corner. They would eventually give up, exhausted and defeated, unable to escape their desire for everything to be perfect. One Halloween night, a young girl named Ella decided she was brave enough to face the challenge. Ella wasn't like the others who had tried before. She had heard the stories, but instead of being afraid of the curse, she was curious. She had spent her whole life chasing perfection, perfect grades, perfect friends and even the perfect Halloween costume. But lately she had started to feel trapped by her own high standards. She wondered if the house of perfection could teach her something new. With a lantern in hand, she approached the front door, her heart beating in her chest. The door creaked open as she stepped inside and the air was thick with dust and the weight of unfinished tasks. The floorboards grunted beneath her feet and the dim light from her lantern fired it. At first, ella tried to do what everyone else had done. She wiped the cobwebs from the walls, adjusted the paintings and even tried to scrub all the wooden floors. But no matter how hard she worked, something else would always seem imperfect. Frustrated, she sat down in the middle of the grand hall, her lantern casting long shadows on the walls. As she sat there, a mysterious whisper filled the room. You never leave until everything is perfect. But then Ella did something unexpected. Instead of panicking or continuing her hopeless quest, she spoke aloud. What if it doesn't need to be perfect? She asked the empty room. The house grown in a response as if it were alive and listening.

Speaker 1: 4:22

Ella stood up and decided to do something different. She didn't focus on making the house perfect. She focused on making small improvements, one step at a time. She polished one window, then moved on. She fixed one broken chair and then left it behind to work on the next. Little by little, she made progress. Hours passed and, to her surprise, the house began to change. The more she embraced progress over perfection, the lighter the house evolved. The oppressive atmosphere lifted and the whispering voices grew silent. And the whispering voice grew silent. Ella smiled to herself. It wasn't about making everything flawless. It was about doing her best and moving forward, no matter how small the steps were. Finally, as Dawn approached, ella walked to the front door. The course had been broken. She turned to look back at the house one last time and it no longer seemed dark or frightening. Instead, it was a work in progress, just like her own life.

Speaker 1: 5:47

Hi guys, my name is Fabio from Journey to Success and welcome. I hope you like the story. It's a beautiful story from Halloween and you know the name of the story is the story of the Haunted House of Perfection, which reminds us that chasing perfection can trap us in a cycle of frustration and disappointment. So when we shift our focus to progress, we free ourselves to grow, learn and move forward, just like headline. You know, guys, we don't need to get everything right all at once. Small steps and continuous effort are the keys to breaking free from the pressure of perfectionism and achieving true success. And let's move forward.

Speaker 1: 6:48

As you know, in this podcast we talk about how to make progress, especially make progress through mistakes, through different failures. In this case, we're talking about this beautiful topic, perfectionism versus progress, and I have just a question for you Did you know that around 70% of people experience the effects of perfectionism at some point in their lives? It sounds like a good thing I mean, who doesn't want to be perfect? But here's the catch Perfectionism can actually cause stress, anxiety and even stop us from reaching our goals. So let me ask you, what does being perfect really mean? Is it something we should aim for, or is, let's say, a better way to you know, to reach our success, our goal? So today we're going to talk about something that affects many people Perfectionism and progress.

Speaker 1: 7:56

In today's world, everything moves fast and we feel like we need to be perfect all the time, whether it's at work, in school or even on social media especially on social media in these days. We're always comparing ourselves to others, we see these perfect image and success stories and we start to believe that we must be perfect to succeed, you know. But is that really true? Is perfection something we should chase, or is focusing on progress, on small steps forward, that it really makes the difference? Really makes the difference. This topic is so important, guys, because we live in a world where rewards, achievements and results look so important. The pressure is huge and it affects our mental health, our motivation and even our happiness. Today, I want to explore how seeking for progress, and not perfection, can change the way you think about success. So let's start.

Speaker 1: 9:06

Let's start by talking about the problems caused by perfectionism. One of the biggest issues is the pressure to always be the best. Society expects us to succeed in everything we do. We see perfect homes, perfect bodies and perfect careers online and we start to think we are failing if we don't match that image, if we don't match that standard. This pressure can lead to serious problems. So people with perfectionist inclinations often feel stressed, anxious and even depressed, because they are constantly trying to meet impossible standards, you know. So the fear of failure becomes overwhelming, and that fear can stop us from even trying. That's the real problem. How many times have you put off a project or an idea because you didn't think it would turn out perfectly. It happens to all of us.

Speaker 1: 10:10

Another issue is that perfectionism can lead to burnout. When we try to be perfect all the time, we push ourselves too hard, we forget to rest, to enjoy the process or to appreciate how far we've come. Instead, we focus only on what's missing or what could be better. So this constant pursuit model shuts us down both mentally and physically, and that's not good at all. And finally, perfectionism often leads to procrastination. So when you're afraid of not being perfect, you might delay starting something because you don't feel ready the results, you never start, or you start too late. Perfectionism stops us from taking action, and without action, we can't make progress. Okay, that's the full point here. Now let's shift our focus to progress. Progress is about moving forward. Okay. So, even if it's not perfect, it's about learning, growing and improving over time. While perfectionism tells us to wait until everything is perfect before we act, progress encourages us to start now and improve along the way.

Speaker 1: 11:33

Think about successful people like, let's say, elon Musk, or even athletes like Michael Jordan. So they didn't achieve success by being perfect from the start. Okay, they made mistakes, learned from them and kept moving forward. Elon Musk's early ventures weren't all successful. Some even failed, but the point here is that he didn't stop. He never stopped. So he focused on progress, adjusting his approach and improving his work.

Speaker 1: 12:11

There is a story there's another story I love about a teacher who divided her class into two groups. So one group was told to make the perfect clay pot, so they could take as long as they needed to get it right. The other group was told to make as many pots as possible in the same time frame. So, no matter how they turn it out, by the end the group that made many pots had not only made more, but also produced better quality pots. Why? It's simple, Because they practiced. You know, they practice, they learn and improve with each one. They try, try, try. So this is the power of progress.

Speaker 1: 12:59

All right, in my own journey with the podcast, I face perfectionism too. Of course I still do, honestly. But especially when I start this podcast or any project in my hand, I want everything to be perfect. In this case, in the case of the podcast, we're talking about perfection in the sound quality, the script, the editing. But I realized that if I waited for everything to be perfect, I would never start. So I began knowing that it wouldn't be perfect. So each episode, in my opinion, got better as I learned new skill and grew more confident with myself believe in my dream. So I embraced progress and that made all the difference. Okay, so focusing on progress helps you build confidence too.

Speaker 1: 13:58

Every step forward, no matter how small is an, is an achievement, guys. Whatever you do, it doesn't matter. How can I say? It doesn't matter how big or small is, the step you're doing is always an achievement. You start to see that it's okay to make mistakes as long as you keep moving forward. You start to think that actually, mistakes are fundamental for your journey. So you don't have to wait for the perfect moment to start, you just need to start. That's what you only need.

Speaker 1: 14:36

Here is the key insight I want to share today Progress over perfection. So this simple phrase can change how you approach everything in life. It reminds us that we don't need to be perfect to succeed, we just need to keep improving. We just need to keep improving. One powerful quote that stuck with me is from Winston Churchill. It's a quote that you probably know already, because it's everywhere in the Internet, but the quote says success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts. This is a perfect example of progress over perfection. So it's not about getting everything right the first time. It's about continuing learning and growing. So when you focus on progress, every step forward brings you closer to your goal. Even if you stumble along the way, it doesn't matter. All right. So let's recap a little bit. So today you hear the beautiful story of Ella, so the story of the haunted house of perfection.

Speaker 1: 15:51

We discussed the dangers of perfectionism, so how it can lead to stress, anxiety, procrastination and even burnout. We explored how society's pressure to be perfect can hold us back and stop us from making progress. But we also learned the value of focusing on progress instead of perfection. But we also learn the value of focusing on progress instead of perfection. By embracing progress, we allow ourselves to make mistakes. That's very important. Learn from them it's very important and grow stronger at the same time. So remember you don't have to wait for everything to be perfect to take action. Just start. Okay, that's it. Just start, and with each step you will improve. I swear, I promise you it is much. It is like that. Over time, you will see that it's progress, not perfection, that leads to real success and fulfillment.

Speaker 1: 16:51

Now I would love to hear from you have you struggled with perfectionism in your own life? How do you focus on progress? Share your stories and tips in the comments below. Also, you know you can also go on my Instagram or Facebook. It's Fabio Posca. If you like to share some of your story under my reel and let's support each other on this journeyca. If you like to share some of your story under my reel and let's support each other on this journey, and if you enjoyed today's episode, share it with other people. I would appreciate a lot. And don't forget to subscribe. Don't forget to drop a follow. It doesn't matter where you are. Maybe on Spotify, maybe on YouTube, I don't know where you are right now. Just don't forget to subscribe, drop a follow. Especially, share with the people. Truly, I like the idea that people can get value from my episodes. For me, it's more important than just a follow. I have to be honest. Thank you for joining me today on Journey to Success and remember progress is the key to growth.