The result is an episode that, though it might be good enough, never lived up to its full potential.
This isn’t a rallying cry for perfectionism. In fact, I’ve found perfectionism in my own work to be the enemy of three important things:
- Enjoying the process
- Respecting other work that needs my attention
- Finishing the damn thing
Leaving nothing on the table and perfectionism are two distinctly different approaches.
The first is a deliberate, sustained effort within a given timeframe.
The latter is a form of tunnel vision, of hiding from other obligations, of seeing the work as a reason to sacrifice everything outside of the work.
We’re creators—perfectionism is part of us. But it’s the professional who takes their perfectionism and domesticates it. The wild beast still lives inside, but it’s given rules, boundaries, and expectations. With the snap of your fingers, its actions are focused. What was once a tyrant becomes a tool.
No episode will be perfect. But every episode deserves a cleared table.