I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve held something back because it felt almost ready—but not quite.

That quiet hesitation has shown up throughout my life, especially before releasing a piece of writing or something else I've created. It often feels responsible, even conscientious. And yet, over time, I’ve begun to wonder whether that pause is always serving my best interests.

That question surfaced again recently after a conversation with Rebecca Roach, host of The Academic Imperfectionist, where we spoke about rewilding and wild willpower—restoring our relationship with ourselves and with the living world. After the conversation ended, my attention kept circling back to a word at the heart of her podcast: imperfection.

Why, I wondered, does imperfection feel so uncomfortable for so many of us? And why does the state of being almost ready so often feel safer than letting something unfinished enter the world?

Before turning to what rewilding and nature might reveal about this discomfort, it helps to understand how modern psychology explains our tendency to hold back.

Modern psychology has offered us powerful tools for growth, self-regulation, and self-improvement. Yet alongside these tools, many of us have absorbed an unspoken message: Refine a little more, fix one last thing, wait until it’s right before you share.

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