An Experiment on Perfectionism

At the beginning of every group or individual session, I always like to start with mindset—taking a moment to check in with ourselves before we begin. How do we feel about the process? What state of mind are we bringing into this work? Whether we’re organizing papers, clothes, or the kitchen, our approach matters just as much as the method we choose.

And one thing I see often is how perfectionism can quietly hold us back. It can make even the smallest step feel overwhelming, leaving us stuck before we even begin.

We get caught in an all-or-nothing mindset: If I can’t do it perfectly, maybe I shouldn’t do it at all. The stronger this feeling, the harder it is to take action. And the less we do, the less progress we see—slowly draining our motivation over time.

🔹 Sound familiar?

This reminds me of a fascinating experiment described in Atomic Habits by James Clear. Photography professor Jerry Uelsmann conducted this study at the University of Florida, and its results reveal a powerful lesson about progress, action, and perfectionism.

On the first day of class, he divided his students into two groups:

📸 The “Quantity” Group – Their grades were based on how many photos they produced. 100 photos for an A, 90 for a B, 80 for a C, and so on.

📸 The “Quality” Group – They only had to submit one perfect photo to get an A.

By the end of the semester, the highest-quality photos all came from the Quantity Group.

Why? Because they were constantly taking pictures, experimenting with composition and lighting, testing different techniques, and learning from their mistakes. Through trial and error, they improved their skills and naturally produced outstanding work.

Meanwhile, the Quality Group spent most of their time thinking about perfection. They planned, analyzed, and hesitated—yet in the end, they had little to show for it besides one mediocre photograph.

💡 This applies to so many areas of life.

We often get stuck searching for the perfect way to do something—the best diet, the most effective workout, the ideal strategy for decluttering…

And while we’re searching, we’re not actually doing anything.