Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Slice of Life: March 4 -- Catching Excellence

"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence."  (Vince Lombardi)

It's confession time: I'm a perfectionist.  By definition, a perfectionist refuses to accept any standard below perfection.  Essentially, it means anything less than perfect is unacceptable.  The very definition of a perfectionist oozes with impossibility.  None of us can be perfect and none of us can live up to such a high standard.

Just like my competitive nature can sometimes get me in trouble, my perfectionist nature isn't always my best friend.  I scrutinize every detail of an email before hitting send.  Those automated phone calls I send out -- I listen to them several times to make sure they sound just right.  Just yesterday, I rehung a mirror in my closet just because it was slightly less than level (and it's in my closet where no one else will see it).

Why then, do I still strive for perfection despite the fact I know it's impossible?  Why do I agonize over little details?  Why do I expect so much of myself?  The answer is simple: if I aim to be perfect, a goal that I'm destined to fall short of, then at least when I fall short, I can perhaps attain excellence.  It's like throwing darts at a dartboard.  I might never hit the bullseye, but I still aim for it.  I don't aim for the outer circle, I aim for the center -- I aim for perfection.

The truth is, it's not about being a perfectionist.  Believe me, it has its downfalls.  It is, however, about aiming to do your very best.  It's about setting high standards for yourself and doing all you can to reach them.  You might fall short (all of us do), but you might also surprise yourself at what you can do when you aim high and shoot for the bullseye.

6 comments:

  1. I like how you have compared aiming for perfection to aiming at a dartboard. Also, I did not realize that perfection is like a goal for the mind that makes us want to come as close as possible to perfection. Thank you for helping me realize.

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  2. I'm also afflicted with perfectionism. There have been times when I've thought to myself "If I can't do it perfectly, I'm not going to do it at all." What an absurd way to look at things! Fortunately, this is only a rare occurrence. Most of the time, my perfectionism affects me as it does you. It motivates me to do the absolute best job I can do, and to not cut corners. I'm okay with this, and appreciate the often-viewed-as-undesirable trait in others. It is one of my favorite things about you!

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    1. Katy, thanks for your positive feedback. I agree that perfectionism can be a motivator. It is also one of my favorite things about you!

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  3. I'm a perfectionist too. The examples that you used were outstanding! I've never thought of any of those. Keep posting more things inspirational. Thanks for the post!

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    1. Thanks for your feedback, Garner. I appreciate your positive comments! I'll do my best to keeping posting inspirational things for all of you to read!

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  4. I love what you wrote. I loved the part were you said "Why then, do I still strive for perfection despite the fact I know it's impossible?"

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