Repetition (Not Perfectionism) Leads to Quality

Perfectionism is the Enemy of Progress

Perfectionism kills quality. It traps us in a cycle of overthinking and worrying about minor details, leaving us paralyzed instead of moving forward toward mastery.

We’ve all fallen victim to perfectionism at some point—whether it’s while working on a passion project, learning a new skill, or completing a task.

The desire to get everything right on the first try often holds us back from making real progress.

Repetition, Not Perfection

Perfectionism is that nagging voice in your head telling you to keep revising your essay at 2 a.m. because it’s not “just right.”

It’s the urge to scrap a painting you’ve spent weeks on because the eyes look slightly off. It’s the reason you sacrifice sleep, convinced that your work isn’t perfect yet.

When I started this blog, my goal was to publish two posts a week. But every time I sat down to write, I found myself overthinking and second-guessing whether the content was worth sharing.

These moments of perfectionism wasted time and energy, preventing me from improving and growing.

The truth is that in learning a skill, quantity often trumps quality. While striving for excellence isn’t inherently bad, the pursuit of perfection can become a roadblock.

Most of the time, your first attempt—or even your second, third, or fourth—won’t be perfect. But the key to mastery lies in repetition. It’s through consistent effort and practice that we improve over time.

A story from David Bayles and Ted Orland’s book, Art & Fear, perfectly illustrates this idea. Here’s a retold version:

A pottery teacher divided a 30-day class into two groups. Group A was tasked with making at least one pot every day, regardless of quality.

The only pot that would be graded was the one made on the 30th day. Group B, on the other hand, was told to spend the entire 30 days perfecting a single pot.

When the 30th day arrived, the teacher evaluated both groups’ work.

Surprisingly, the pots made by Group A—the quantity-focused group—were judged to be of higher quality than those made by Group B.

The lesson? Quantity leads to quality. No amount of theorizing or overthinking can replace the value of hands-on experience and repetition.

This principle applies to almost any skill or endeavor, especially for beginners.

Don’t Expect a Masterpiece on Day One

Every master was once a beginner. No one starts out perfect, yet we often hold ourselves to impossibly high standards, stifling our growth and confidence in the process.

Why expect to create a Mona Lisa when you’ve just picked up a paintbrush?

When I started my YouTube channel, I spent an entire week editing my first video, determined to make it perfect.

After uploading it, I felt proud, but there was always that lingering thought: I could’ve done more. Months later, I uploaded a vacation vlog and noticed something—my editing had improved. I was faster, more efficient, and more confident.

The improvement didn’t come from obsessing over every detail; it came from putting in the reps.

The same thing happened when I started blogging. My first article took a week to complete. This article, on the other hand, took half the time.

By focusing less on perfection and more on the process, I found that ideas flowed more freely, and my workflow became more efficient.

Conclusion

Perfectionism is a creativity killer. It stifles progress, erodes confidence, and wastes valuable time. But when you shift your focus from perfection to repetition, you’ll find that improvement comes naturally.

Today, I can edit two 10-minute YouTube videos in the same amount of time it once took me to edit one.

My writing has become faster and more fluid, and I’ve grown more confident both on and off camera.

These improvements didn’t come from obsessing over every detail—they came from consistent practice and a willingness to embrace imperfection.

So, the next time you find yourself stuck in the perfectionism trap, remember the pottery class story. Quantity leads to quality.

Don’t let the pursuit of perfection paralyze your progress. Instead, focus on putting in the reps, and watch as your skills—and confidence—grow.