Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating
Look at it as an opportunity to prove to yourself that you don't let perfectionism get the better of you?xJocelynx87 wrote: Just some words of encouragement, or any comments in general would be nice. Me = disappointed in myself.
Jocelyn
When my children were in school I used to tell them to do their best. As long as they were doing their best, I didn't care if they didn't get A's or if their results weren't perfect. I didn't want perfect kids; I wanted kids who put forth their best effort. It's also important to realize that your "best" varies.Perfection, Excellence and Good Enough
There are two phrases that are widely thought to encourage peak performance, but are actually recipes for disaster.
The first is the ever-popular search for "best practices" and the other is the quest for "zero defects." While I understand the intention behind them, in the real world too often they merely trigger our fears and create tremendous interference.
Professionals hate making mistakes! No one wants to mess up, drop the ball or fail! We hate being embarrassed!
Unfortunately, human beings are only human. We get tired, we forget, we get distracted. We have misunderstandings and sometimes (I hate to say it) we make mistakes. We "mess up."
In the quest for perfection, we kid ourselves and we waste time and energy striving for the impossible. Most of the time we are far more successful if we strive for excellence rather than perfection. And, sometimes, the situation only requires "good enough," and our efforts beyond that are a waste of time.
This week, I finished a biography of Howard Hughes and in summing up his life, the authors made this astonishing assessment: "...geniuses must, like all of us, live in the real world. Hughes never learned how to convert his knowledge to practical application. Instead, he sought a perfection that assured failure." (Empire: The Life, Legend and Madness of Howard Hughes, by Donald L. Bartlett & James B. Steel, p. 623.)
Now, of course there are instances where "perfection" is the appropriate standard, but in real life, these are few and far between. Most of the time, our quest for "perfection" is inappropriate and grows out of an exaggerated desire to be right, to be super-human, to avoid criticism or risk.
Peak performers are more interested in getting things done than in perfection. High achievers look for appropriate outcomes and measure their success based on the quantity and quality of their results.
In most areas of life and business, here are my preferred standards:
1. Excellence. In work and in relationships, seek excellence. We want superb results that other people admire, but life rarely asks for perfection. Mistakes are merely the price of experimentation, learning and growth. Never fear making a mistake; fear failing to learn and move forward.
2. Good Enough. In most activities our goal should be performance appropriate to the situation. Anything less is sloppy or careless and that is never acceptable, but anything beyond what a specific situation requires or expects is merely personal preference.
Consider my front lawn. It is not a prize-winning lawn and no one's life or happiness or career depends on it's appearance, so "good enough" requires a few minutes with the trimmer, a half-hour with the mower, and some fertilizer from time to time. It looks "good enough" and blends with the standard in our neighborhood. Anything less would be "sloppy;" anything beyond that is time spent for some other, personal, reason.
Perfection is rarely required. Instead, strive for excellence in the important areas of life, and "good enough" in everything else. I think you'll be happier, more productive and, in the long run, far more successful.
