I Spent My 20s Trying to Be "Perfect"

I spent my 20s trying to be "Perfect". Never admitted I was confused in meetings. Never asked "stupid" questions. Never showed up to work anything less than completely put-together.

It was hell.

Today also i see many people trying to seem like all perfect. However, Perfect people are the most miserable people also.

Here's what perfectionism actually looks like:
- Spending 3 hours on an email that takes 10 minutes to read.
- Saying "I'm fine" when your startup is 2 weeks away from running out of money.
- Never shipping products because they're "not ready yet."
- Pretending you understand it, as soon as you hear anything new.

Perfectionism isn't a standard. It's a contagious disease that kills progress.
The best professionals I know are wonderfully messy. They ship ugly first versions. They ask obvious questions. They admit when they're completely lost. The flaws aren't bugs. They're are what actually makes you a human.

The moment I started doing the same, work became fun again.

As Faiz Ahmed Faiz wrote:
"बोल कि लब आज़ाद हैं तेरे, बोल ज़बान अब तक तेरी है"
(Speak, for your lips are free; speak, your tongue is still your own)

Your authenticity is your only real competitive advantage....