On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

In her book, Let It Be Easy: Simple Ways to Stop Stressing & Start Living, life coach Susie Moore shares insightful gems. Here’s one of my favorites:

Did you know that perfectionism has nothing to do with high standards? It’s about failure anxiety.

A perfectionist rarely works at more than 50 percent of their potential. They’re afraid to take risks. Afraid to ask for help. Afraid to get it wrong. The common theme? Fear.

What if good enough actually is good enough? The most prolific, high-producing, creative, and successful people I know have a big bias toward action. They aim for excellence, not perfection (which doesn’t exist, anyway).

And they reap more. There’s a Spanish proverb, “More grows in the garden than the gardener knows he has planted.”

Reaping is for the planters, even messy planters. I think to myself, If this piece of work, meal, outfit, whatever, is an 8 out of 10, that’s good enough!

Better a bourgeoning, boppin’, wild, alive backyard than the perfectly coiffed rose garden that never blooms.

Source: Let It Be Easy, p. 140.