Me too! Sewing or gardening, or reading a good book. I remember a high school friend in a odd little compliment asked how I managed to live with ‘not so great.’ She said she had trouble getting out of bed in the morning because she was afraid she wouldn’t do things perfectly or be the best. My reaction was, “Wow! You are so brave. I wouldn’t have the courage to face that stress daily.” Years and years later my DSL asked me how did I manage to be so spontaneous. She was struggling with knowing a thing should be done the right way and wondered how I didn’t mind doing it the wrong way. (Tee hee) I think we all are motivated by different things. Me? Gosh, I just love learning. I think I’m motivated by curiosity. I like to try my hand at things but probably don’t master many things. But I do try to do things well.......just not to perfection?

Very interesting thread. I enjoyed reading the thoughts of others.

Oh, I agree. I would never get anything done if I were a perfectionist.

If I waited for perfection, I'd never finish anything! I do the very best I can, and for me, that's good enough!! I think too that we are all our own worst critics!

Cindi, that's hilarious!

Perfectly said RhondaLee!

I’m the last from a family of 7 and a lot of us are like that. The ones that aren’t…..sure aren’t. My brother next in line to me is the ultimate perfectionist which is pretty handy considering he’s a Literal rocket scientist. His hair stands up if he’s in a room where there’s an 89 degree angle. We went back and forth for 4 days when I told him how to make spaghetti sauce and didn’t give him quantities. ("Whadya mean 'add garlic cloves'?”) Boy, was that an experience.

I love all the attitudes on here. I’m trying not to be perfect on the quilting front (not that I ever was—far from it) because I find that trying to make them perfect takes the fun out of it. I don’t enjoy it and find it stressful. But, at the same time, if it’s a gift I want it to be really nice but finding that balance point can be tough.

I kind of laughed at the spaghetti recipe line - I follow some recipes quite closely - the first time, anyway.

But there are some dishes/meals/concoctions such as soup, chili, casseroles - that are fairly flexible - but if one does want consistent results, specific amounts of ingredients are helpful.

Oh, this thread is so interesting. I spent my career being a perfectionist, going the extra mile, etc. ... which made me happy then. I found myself trying to be "all things to all people" at work, at home, in life ... until I realized the more I did, the more others "didn't". Haha. I'm a self-taught quilter ... never taken a class mainly because nowhere nearby to take one. So, obviously, I've learned the hard way. I'm like "mhollifiel" stated ... there are too many people in need that can use a quilt so I strive to do "my" best to meet that need while quilting to the best of my ability. That's what makes me happy. Oh, I've ripped many a stitch mostly because something was just too obvious ... but not because it "had to be perfect".

God Bless those who enter Quit Shows. I do love going to see their work and admire their attention to detail and how intricate their work is.

In my experience a quilt does not need to be perfect to be cherished. Usually, the only one who is aware of its faults is the one who sewed/quilted it.

That said, nothing is ever truly just "good enough" if you have put blood, sweat, and tears into it. It may not be perfection but it's still a job well done.

I do understand what the OP meant by good enough though. I just don't want people to underestimate what they have accomplished by finishing a project.