Perfection. We chase it, we overthink it, and we exhaust ourselves trying to achieve it. Whether it’s in business, relationships, or something as simple as cooking a Sunday roast, there’s always this pressure to get things just right. But the truth? Perfection doesn’t exist. And if you ever want proof of that - just look at Yorkshire puddings.

I grew up in a family that took Yorkshire puddings seriously. My nan swore by six or seven forks of flour, a couple of eggs, and milk. Yes, forks - that was her way of measuring. But if you ask my sister and me, we remember the quantities differently. One of us is convinced it was more eggs, the other swears it was less flour. Who's right? Who knows. But that’s the thing - even within our own family, perfection is subjective.

Then there are the endless debates on the right way to make them. Aunt Bessie’s method calls for a 220-degree oven. My sister, who makes the best Yorkshire puddings I’ve ever tasted, insists you need to turn the oven up as high as it can go, leave it for 15 minutes until you think it’s about to catch fire, and then put them in.

And if all that wasn’t complicated enough, there’s the question of what to eat them with. Some prefer them savoury, drowning in gravy, while others - like me—have experimented with sweet versions. Last Christmas, we went rogue and had curry for Christmas dinner, so I made Bombay roast potatoes and curried Yorkshire puddings with mango chutney. They were incredible. Not traditional, but perfect to me.

The thing is, no matter how you make them, or what you eat them with, they’re still Yorkshire puddings - and they’re still delicious. And that’s exactly how life works.

The Pressure to Get Everything Right

I’ve spent years overthinking. Trying to predict what people will think of me, whether they’ll judge what I say, write, or do. And let’s be honest - that’s normal. We all do it. But at some point, I realised that worrying about other people’s opinions was stopping me from doing things.

When I stopped focusing on what others might think and instead focused on why I was doing something, everything got easier. That doesn’t mean I don’t double-check things, go back, edit, re-edit (and then probably edit again). But that’s part of the joy of being dyslexic - you expect to make mistakes. Growing up in a time when support for dyslexia wasn’t what it is today, I learned early on that mistakes were inevitable. But I’ve also learned something else: I’m a good person, I mean well, and if people don’t like that - well, that’s fine. Judge away.

Mistakes Are How We Learn

I’ve made plenty of mistakes in business. Too many to count. But every single one has taught me something. I’ve learned to own my mistakes, figure out what went wrong, and move forward. If we never messed up, we’d never learn. And if we never learned, we’d never grow. So, I say: go and mess something up. Try something new. Make a complete hash of it. And then do it again and again—until you don’t mess it up anymore.

What We Think is "Perfect" is Just Perception

The funny thing about perfection is that it’s always somewhere else. We think other people have it. That someone else’s business, relationship, or life is “perfect.” But all we’re seeing is our perception of their world. We assume they have it all together. In reality, they’re just figuring things out, same as the rest of us.

So instead of striving for perfection, focus on what actually benefits you. Set goals that make sense for your life. And embrace the mistakes along the way.

Your Challenge: Let Go of Perfection

If you’re up for a challenge, try this:

• Cook something without a recipe. Just throw ingredients together and see what happens.
• Build or create something without a plan.
• Wear something that you didn’t iron.
• Skip doing the housework for a day (the world won’t end, I promise).
• Let someone else take control of something you always do.
• If you’re the first in and last out at work, treat yourself—turn up on time and leave on time. Enjoy the extra sleep in the morning, make evening plans, and relax. I assure you, the world will keep spinning.

Because life isn’t about getting everything right. It’s about learning, adapting, and enjoying the process - even when things don’t rise the way you expected them to.

And if you ever need help processing the past, dealing with the present, or planning for the future - I’m here. No perfection required.