Embracing the 90% Rule

For years, I believed I was a perfectionist. In my defense, I had good reasons—some of the sports I practiced, like rock climbing, required a level of precision where mistakes could have serious consequences. In that world, striving for perfection wasn’t just an ideal; it was a survival strategy.

Then, a friend said something that completely changed my perspective. She is one of those multi-talented, highly competent professionals—organized, creative, and seemingly flawless at everything she does. I assumed she was operating at 110% at all times, pushing beyond what I could ever hope to achieve.

But then she shared her secret:

“I never give 100%. I aim for 90%.”

That simple statement stuck with me. She wasn’t advocating for mediocrity—far from it. She had discovered that 90% is more than enough to produce great work, delight her clients, and avoid the exhaustion that chasing perfection can bring.

Years later, I stumbled upon this quote:

Perfect is good, but done is better.

Exactly! That 90% mindset is what allows us to create, to move forward, to finish things—rather than getting stuck in the endless loop of tweaking, refining, and never actually completing anything.

Which brings me here, writing a blog post that is certainly not perfect. But it’s done—and that’s what matters. 😉

The Art of Letting Go

This philosophy reminds me of the Tibetan Sand Mandala.

Tibetan Buddhists create intricate, breathtaking mandalas from coloured sand, carefully crafting them as a form of meditation and devotion. But once completed, they destroy their own work, symbolizing the impermanence of life. The beauty was in the process, not in holding onto the final product.

My personal practice isn’t quite the same, but it has a similar effect. I knit and crochet—not as an expert, but as someone who enjoys the process more than the outcome. I don’t measure much, I don’t follow gauges, and more often than not, I finish a project only to realize it’s not what I expected—or the size I wanted it to be.

And then?

I undo it all. I unravel the yarn, roll it back into a ball, and start again.

Not because I failed. But because the joy is in creating, not in achieving some pre-determined, picture-perfect result. From time to time, I do end up with something wearable—something beautiful. But even when I don’t, the process itself is its own reward.

And maybe, just maybe, that’s the real perfection. 💙