You can’t perfect your way to clarity

A familiar pattern from earlier in my career.

I remember preparing for client meetings many times in my career.

Before the meeting, I had to take my boss or colleagues through the deck.

I must have reworked it five or six times.

Tweaking the wording.

Changing the visuals.

Adjusting the tone.

Trying to anticipate exactly what the feedback would be.

Trying to get it perfect.

We got into the session. They looked at it. And then asked me to change things anyway.

The feedback was good. But there were still edits.

I remember feeling frustrated.

Because after all that effort, it still wasn’t right enough.

I chased that perfection with no notes for most of my career.

It was only towards the end of my time in corporate that I realised there’s no such thing as perfect here.

Everyone brings their own perspective.

Their own preferences.

Their own definition of what “right” or "good" looks like.

What I had been doing wasn’t striving for excellence.

I was trying to predict someone else’s thinking.

And judging myself when I got it wrong.

For a long time, I held the belief that if I just worked hard enough, thought deeply enough, prepared thoroughly enough…

I could get it to perfect. And avoid that feeling of being judged and criticised.

And if I didn’t?

It meant I wasn’t good enough.

Or I hadn’t tried hard enough.

That belief made me overprepare.

Overplan.

Overthink.

It cost me time, energy, confidence.

And, over time, self-trust.

What eventually changed wasn’t how hard I worked.

It was what I was solving for.

I stopped trying to get it “right” on my own.

Instead, I focused on bringing a clear, well-considered perspective.

And then using other people’s input to build something better.

Not perfect.

Better.

Clarity doesn’t come from doing more.

It comes from deciding what matters.

And solving for the right question.

Effort isn’t the problem. Direction is.