Understanding the problem means you’re already halfway to solving it. At least it means you know there is a problem. Perfectionism is one of those problems we might be suffering from without even realizing it—until we finally do. In this post, I want to go back to the day I realized that I was dealing with this issue.

As I’m writing this, my perfectionist mind is telling me to find the exact date—but I’m choosing to push back and just mention the approximate time: before the COVID pandemic, around seven years ago. That day, my dear friend Khosrow sent me an Instagram post by Mr. Aydin Namdar about perfectionism. I saw that post while we were guests at a friend’s garden. I was sitting on a swing, gently rocking back and forth. I watched the post twice in a row. It was right then that I realized I was facing this issue.

Time passed, and I kept thinking about it. I started seeing it in many areas of my life. I had walked half the path—awareness—but the more important half, the part where I began to face it, took a lot longer. That started about a year ago. That’s actually why I chose this title for the post. To be fair, it was Khosrow who came up with it, and I immediately knew it was the right fit.

I’m glad that, even if late, I finally began this journey—and now I’m taking strong steps toward confronting it.

Lastly, I should say that Khosrow’s act of sharing that post not only led to a few collaborations but, more importantly, sparked a deep friendship between me and Mr. Namdar—a friendship that continues to this day.