If you’ve ever found yourself stuck on one more tweak… one more revision… one more thing that might make it better — I need you to know, I get you.
Many high-achieving women have been taught that excellence comes from getting things just right.
From early on, we learn to manage the details, juggle all the plates, and hold ourselves to incredibly high standards.
But at some point, perfection stops being a strength — and quietly becomes a burden.
Today, I want to talk about the shift that changed everything for me. The moment I realized that what actually creates progress, peace, and sustainability isn’t perfection at all — it’s consistency.
Let’s talk about what happens when we stop chasing perfect… and start choosing done.
High Prevalence of Perfectionists in Medicine
Many women — and especially high-achieving women — strive for perfection. In all things.
We’re achievers. We’re planners. We’re excellent at managing details and keeping all the plates spinning in the air.
And often, we don’t even notice how much mental energy that takes — because it’s how we’ve always operated.
I’ll be working on a project and immediately notice the small things that could be improved. Don’t even get me started on power point revisions!
And my instinct? Keep going… until I don’t see those imperfections anymore.
That shows up everywhere…
- In hospital initiatives.
- In PDFs for my business.
- In parenting my own kids.
Honestly, I started reading parenting books the moment I found out I was pregnant — and I’ve never really stopped. The drive to be the best parent I can be, and to keep improving, is intense.
That same pattern shows up in entrepreneurship. I’m new at this. I want to understand every system, every tool, every skill — before I’d ever give myself a title or bring someone else in. And I want to know it yesterday!
And that desire to “do it right” can easily turn into spending an entire week learning QuickBooks… or hours agonizing over the font size or width of the margins in a PDF.
And here’s the thing we don’t talk about enough:
The Cost of Perfectionism in Women Physician Leaders
Perfectionism has a cost.
It takes time — time most of us simply don’t have when we’re juggling careers, families, leadership, and life.
It also comes with a constant undercurrent of negative self-talk. A voice that says, not quite yet… still not good enough… keep fixing.
What makes it tricky is that perfectionism has absolutely served us in certain seasons of our lives. It helped us succeed in school. It helped us rise in our careers. It helped us earn trust and responsibility.
But the real growth comes when we learn to ask: When is this a strength — and when is it a burden?
I’ve heard the phrase “done beats perfect” more times than I can count.
It’s easy to say. Much harder to live.
So I started asking myself a different question:
What actually drives the results that align with my values?
Was it all brains that got me straight As?
Or was it the consistency of my study habits?
Was it raw athleticism that helped me run multiple half marathons in my 30s?
Or was it showing up, week after week, to the training plan?
Was it the workflow design that helped me implement region-wide initiatives across multiple hospitals?
Or was it consistent communication, follow-up, and presence?
When I look back honestly, I can see how much time I lost agonizing over details that didn’t truly move the needle — papers, exams, running shoes, workflow wording, training cadence.
And now, with a little more age and a lot more wisdom, I see this clearly:
The small, consistent habits in my life have brought me far more success, wellness, and joy than perfectionism ever did.
- Thirty to sixty minutes of movement a day.
- Reading daily.
- Taco Tuesday.
- Dinnertime rituals.
Over time, consistency created comfort — not just for me, but for the people around me.
- Calling my mom.
- Throwing the ball for my dog.
- Setting aside time to plan and reflect.
None of that is perfect.
All of it is grounding.
In my business, I am very far from perfect. I feel like a beginner again — and sometimes, honestly, a little alone.
But building consistent rhythms of learning, creating, connecting, and growing has completely changed my foundation.
But I still have to remind myself of this often so I don’t fall back into the traps.
I no longer want to be someone who agonizes over details that don’t add value.
I want to be someone who shows up, grows, and provides stability — even when things feel uncertain.
Because consistency builds something perfection never can:
A foundation that lasts.
If this message resonated with you — if you’re ready to loosen the grip on perfection and build something steadier — I’d love to stay connected.
You can join my mailing list at stephanieyamout.com/join, where I share reflections like this, practical tools, and support for women who are building meaningful lives and careers — without burning themselves out in the process.
Thanks for being here. And thanks for leading with heart.