Mindset, Personal Growth, Imperfect Action

Break Up with Perfection: Amanda Kaufman on Imperfect Action, the Axle & Excellence

If perfectionism has ever kept you stuck staring at a blank page, delaying a big decision, or endlessly “getting ready to get ready,” you’re not alone. Coach and strategist Amanda Kaufman invites us to do something radical: break up with perfection and fall in love with Imperfect Action instead.

Why Perfection Feels Safe (But Keeps You Stuck)

Perfectionism often disguises itself as “high standards.” It tells you that if you just plan a little more, research a little longer, or tweak one more detail, then you’ll finally be ready. The problem? That moment rarely arrives. Instead of helping you move forward, perfection quietly convinces you to wait—until you feel smarter, thinner, richer, more qualified, or more confident.

Amanda Kaufman teaches that when you’re chasing flawless outcomes, you’re actually chasing something that doesn’t exist. You end up measuring yourself against an impossible standard, and every small misstep feels like proof that you’re “not enough.” To truly Overcome Perfectionism, you have to recognize it for what it is: a clever form of fear that keeps you from being visible, vulnerable, and in motion.

Imperfect Action: The Antidote to “Someday”

Enter Imperfect Action—Amanda’s favorite power move. Imperfect Action is doing the next right thing with the information, energy, and courage you have today, not waiting until everything is polished and guaranteed. It’s sending the email with a simple message instead of agonizing over the perfect wording. It’s launching the pilot version of your program instead of waiting until your branding, website, and logo are flawless. It’s having the hard conversation now rather than rehearsing it in your head for weeks.

The magic of Imperfect Action is that it creates real-world feedback. When you move, you learn. You discover what works, what doesn’t, and what to adjust. While perfectionism keeps you in theory, Imperfect Action pulls you into practice. Over time, those small, slightly messy steps compound into genuine skill and confidence. You don’t become excellent in spite of Imperfect Action—you become excellent because of it.

💡 Pro Tip: Ask yourself, “What’s the smallest, most imperfect step I can take in the next 10 minutes?” Then do just that—no upgrades, no overthinking.

The Axle: Staying in Motion, Not on a Pedestal

Amanda uses the metaphor of an axle to describe a healthier way to move through your goals. Picture a colorful wheel spinning around a strong center. The axle doesn’t look perfect; it just has one job—to keep things moving. Your job is the same. Instead of trying to be the flawless statue on a pedestal, you become the axle that keeps your life and work turning through consistent, aligned action.

When you see yourself as the axle, you stop judging every tiny wobble as failure. A rough day, a clumsy first attempt, or a project that lands differently than you hoped isn’t a verdict on your worth. It’s just part of the spin. You can adjust, re-center, and keep rolling. This shift alone helps you Overcome Perfectionism, because progress, not flawlessness, becomes the point.

Excellence Mindset vs. Perfectionism: Know the Difference

One of Amanda’s most powerful distinctions is between perfectionism and an Excellence Mindset. On the surface they can look similar—both care about quality and impact—but they feel completely different from the inside.

• Perfectionism says, “If it isn’t flawless, it doesn’t count.” You feel tense, afraid of criticism, and tempted to hide your work.

• An Excellence Mindset says, “I’m committed to doing my best and getting better over time.” You feel curious, open to feedback, and willing to iterate.

With an Excellence Mindset, your worth is not on the line every time you try something. You can celebrate progress, not just outcomes. You can be proud of your courage, not just your results. And because you’re less afraid of being “wrong,” you actually learn faster and grow more. In other words, excellence is born from Imperfect Action, repeated with intention.

Practical Ways to Practice Imperfect Action Today

Ready to start living this out? Here are a few Amanda-inspired ways to weave Imperfect Action and an Excellence Mindset into your everyday life:

1. Set “good enough” criteria. Before you begin a task, decide what “good enough to ship” looks like. When you hit that point, you stop tweaking and move on.

2. Time-box your decisions. Give yourself a clear deadline—20 minutes for the email, one week for the proposal—and commit to deciding by then, even if it’s not perfect.

3. Debrief instead of judge. After you take action, ask, “What worked? What didn’t? What will I do differently next time?” Curiosity keeps you in the Excellence Mindset; judgment pulls you back into perfectionism.

4. Celebrate the try. At the end of the day, list three imperfect actions you took and give yourself real credit for them. You’re training your brain to value motion over illusion.

Your New Relationship with Excellence

Breaking up with perfection doesn’t mean lowering your standards or not caring about quality. It means refusing to let fear of imperfection run your life. Amanda Kaufman’s approach invites you to stand firmly in an Excellence Mindset, where your identity is not attached to any single outcome, and your power lies in your willingness to keep turning the axle—step after step, day after day.

So consider this your friendly permission slip: send the draft, make the offer, post the video, try the new habit. Let it be a little rough around the edges. Let it be human. Your life, your work, and your impact are built not on perfect moments, but on a long, colorful string of imperfect actions taken with courage and care. That’s where real excellence lives—and you’re already closer than you think.