How do I stop procrastinating when I'm afraid of not doing something perfectly?

Perfectionist procrastination is a vicious cycle where the managing fear of not doing something perfectly prevents you from starting at all. This often leads to last-minute panic, rushed work that's actually less than your best, and reinforcement of the belief that you can't do things well. Breaking this cycle requires changing your relationship with both perfection and productivity. Start by setting 'good enough' standards for different types of tasks - not everything needs to be your masterpiece. Break large projects into smaller, less intimidating steps that feel manageable. Focus on starting rather than finishing - tell yourself you only need to work for 15 minutes, which often leads to continuing once you've overcome the initial resistance. Use time limits to prevent endless tweaking and revision. Set a timer and stop working when it goes off, even if the work isn't perfect. Practice the 80/20 rule - often 80% of the results come from 20% of the effort, and that remaining 20% of perfection isn't worth the 80% of additional effort it requires. Challenge the thoughts that fuel perfectionist procrastination: 'It has to be perfect' becomes 'It has to be good enough for its sense of purpose.' Remember that done is better than perfect, and you can always improve something after you've completed a first draft.