When I was a little girl, my mom used to introduce me as her “little  perfectionist.” I stood there, beaming with pride, because perfection  was the gold standard, right? The best of the best. But over the years,  I’ve learned that perfectionism isn’t the same as being perfect—and in  fact, it can be a serious detriment to performance. In aviation, it can  even become dangerous.

The turning point in my understanding came while reading The Confident Mind by Dr. Nate Zinsser. In it, he  states, “Research shows that the highest achievers in any given field are those with only moderate levels of  perfectionism. Those with the highest levels of perfectionism are only moderate achievers because the anxiety  they feel over making mistakes prevents them from taking timely action.” When I read that, I thought, I do not  want to be a moderate achiever! I’d wager most pilots feel the same way. After all, we operate in a world  where precision matters and excellence is the expectation. But perfectionism? That’s a different story. 

Take a pilot’s crosscheck as an example. If a pilot is fixated on holding altitude perfectly, there’s a high  likelihood they’re over-focusing on one parameter and missing critical information elsewhere—airspeed,  heading, power settings, radio calls. This narrow focus disrupts the balance of the crosscheck and increases  stress. The result? A cascade of errors. 

Now consider a steep turn, a maneuver every pilot is familiar with. The best pilots don’t aim to hit perfect  parameters; they aim to stay within a reasonable margin—plus or minus a set amount on airspeed, altitude,  and bank angle. Why? Because maintaining a window of parameters allows the crosscheck to flow smoothly.  The pilot who insists on absolute perfection often spends too much time fine-tuning one aspect of the turn,  leading to deviations elsewhere and an exhausting struggle to catch up. Meanwhile, the pilot with a healthy  approach to imperfection expends less mental energy and maintains better overall control. 

This lesson applies far beyond steep turns. Pilots must embrace the idea that perfection is neither realistic nor  productive. Aviation is about striving for excellence, not flawless execution. When we chase perfection too  closely, we risk missing the bigger picture—situational awareness, decision-making, and ultimately, safety. 

I’ve coined a personal mantra that I repeat often: “Strive for perfection, but don’t be a perfectionist.” This  means setting high standards and reaching for ambitious goals, but also allowing room for error and growth.  Mistakes are inevitable in aviation and in life. What matters is how we respond to them—learning, adapting,  and improving. 

So, the next time you catch yourself beating yourself up over a less-than-perfect performance, take a step  back. Ask yourself: Did I learn something valuable? If the answer is yes, then you’re on the right track. 

Stay tuned for a future column where I’ll explore how to move forward after making mistakes. Until then,  remember—progress, not perfection, is what keeps us flying high.

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For those interested in developing these skills, Crosscheck offers a comprehensive 4-week online mental performance training course  tailored to pilots at all levels. Visit www.CrosscheckMentalPerformance.com for more information and upcoming course dates.