I am a recovering perfectionist. I was the kid who refused to walk until I was confident that I could run without falling; I never turned in an exam without checking and double-checking my answers; and to this day, I get unreasonably frustrated when I can’t master a skill at first bat.

In some ways, I’m thankful for this personality trait, as it lends itself well to fulfilling my new role as production designer. Because I am the very last person to review each file before it’s sent to press, I must meticulously comb through an extensive mental checklist in hopes of presenting a flawless document to the printer. Are these images hi-res? Do we have any spot colors? Are the bleeds just right? It’s a lot to keep track of, but when my co-workers and our clients have put hours of hard work into a project, it’s imperative that I do my job to the absolute best of my ability.

But at the end of the day, after I’ve reviewed, tweaked, refined, converted, exported and reviewed again for good measure, there comes that pivotal moment when I just have to take a deep breath and press send. This is the moment that every perfectionist dreads, because it involves relinquishing control and relying on faith, confidence or some combination of the two. It is simultaneously terrifying and freeing.

Since graduating from college a little over a year ago, I’ve been thrust into such terrifying-yet-freeing situations on an excruciatingly regular basis. I moved 500 miles away from friends and family, started my first job and became a wife, just to name a few. In many ways I feel like a file that was sent directly to press without a second glance — completely unprepared, inexperienced and unable to prepare delicious gourmet meals for my poor, starving husband. So many times I’ve tried to confront these new challenges with perfection, yet time and time again, I have fallen flat on my face.

Thankfully, through all of these not-so-subtle attacks on my perfectionism, I’ve learned to let go, throw myself into the mix and have the confidence to fail a couple of times before getting something right. I must continually remind myself that I’m not going to be an expert the first time — and I certainly can’t let the fear of failure scare me away from trying. There is so much beauty in the journey toward achieving the things we want in life, and that process should be embraced rather than met with anxiety. A great quote I once heard sums it up well: “Don’t let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was.”

Yes, I am far from perfect. I am a terrible dancer, and the beef tacos I made last week were entirely too salty.  Yet somehow, I’ve found joy in this new, messy, sometimes bumpy life of mine. Because without imperfection, there is no room to grow. And I’ve grown a heck of a lot in the past year and a half.

But as for those files that I’m sending to press, don’t worry: There’s still a little perfectionist left in me.