17 Uplifting Quotes to Embrace Progress Not Perfection

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Looking for uplifting quotes about focusing on progress not perfection? Here are 17 inspiring quotes to help you embrace “good enough” and to strive for progress not perfection.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the idea of perfection. And before you know it, you’ve been spending all your time perfecting every little detail without actually getting the things done you were supposed to.

These quotes are here to remind you to take small steps every day, accept mistakes and flaws and work toward your dreams and goals. And to stop worrying about perfection, because according to Salvador Dali, it’s not even reachable.

Quotes about progress, not perfection

So here are 17 quotes about progress, not perfection:

1. “Focus on progress, not perfection.”

Bill Phillips

2. “The goal is progress, not perfection!”

Kathy Freston

3. “Think progress, not perfection.”

Ryan Holiday

4. “Progress, not perfection, is what we should be asking of ourselves.”

Julia Cameron

5. “Personal growth is about progress, not perfection.”

Hal Elrod

6. “Progress not perfection… you can’t be perfect everything… but you can gain progress on a daily basis.”

Court McGee

7. “Perfection is the enemy of progress.”

Winston Churchill

8. “Perfection is static, and I am in full progress.”

Anais Nin

9. “Don’t strive for perfection, but purrfection. You know, like cats… Just do you and that’ll do.”

Cristina Morero

Other quotes to inspire you to strive for progress, not perfection

10. “Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it.”

Salvador Dali

11. “Done is better than perfect.”

Sheryl Sandberg

12. “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you are right.”

Henry Ford

13. “Progress requires setbacks; the only sure way to avoid failure is not to try.”

Henry Spencer

14. “Hey, you know I might not be perfect! But I’m a wonderful work in progress!”

D.C. Akers

15. “The Commedia , it must be remembered, is a vision of the progress of man’s soul toward perfection.”

Dante Alighieri

16. “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.”

Vince Lombardi Jr.

17. “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”

Albert Einstein

Who said progress not perfection?

Bill Phillips said: “Focus on progress, not perfection.”

What does progress, not perfection mean?

Progress, not perfection, means that you can and should take steps towards where you want to be without thinking that everything you do along the way has to be exactly right and perfect.

Perfectionism tends to set us back and procrastinate, making it difficult to progress. But progress, not perfection, is the mindset that helps you move forward and accomplish your goals!

So progress, not perfection, means striving towards something but accepting that there will always be room for improvement. And progress can happen one step at a time, even if things don’t go “exactly” as planned.

Perfectionism can become a progress killer. It can make you feel like everything on your to-do list should be perfect before moving forward, and the result? You never get anything done!

To progress in life, we need to stop focusing so much on perfection. Whether it’s our appearance or our work ethic, progress, not perfection, means that we take steps towards where we want to go without expecting ourselves (or others) to be perfect at all times. 

So if you’re struggling with procrastination and perfecting things too much, adopt the progress, not perfection mindset, and get things done. Because as Sheryl Sandberg has said: “Done is better than perfect.”

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