Perfection or Progress?

PERFECT! they said. Sounds good. Feels good. The emotional lift is palpable. I noticed this the other day when I had 2 people email me one word – PERFECT! What a great way to start the day!

Perfection is something that research suggests is impossible to achieve.  How many times have we tried?  In fact, with our thoughts of ‘It’s got to be just right”, how many times have we not even started, or maybe we’ve stopped halfway through, due to the fact -our impression-  that perfection would not be attained. 

Not even started. 

“I didn’t get to that project because of, umm because, and uh, well, um, if… oh yeah, I’ve got something else to do, and, and, and…”  All these little excuses really just point to the fact -conscious thought or not- that there is no way it will be as perfect it as we want it.  

Not even started.

Do we even know what perfection means to us? Will we even know it if we see it? That we’ve attained it? 

I’ve started looking at this a little differently. Instead of perfection, how ‘bout excellence? How about we take a project on, because we want to. We may feel driven or pulled to it. And besides, it might be fun!    Maybe we could lose that overarching specter of possibility that our project won’t turn out absolutely 100% perfect.   Maybe we could just have fun with it and do the best we can.

Maybe we could channel the spirit of Bill & Ted. I’m sure it will turn out to be ‘Totally Excellent’. At least it will turn out.

I’ve touched on how we try to do things to perfection. Let’s turn that camera inward. What do we see in ourselves that is less than perfect? And on what self judgement do you base that decision on? (Sorry, didn’t mean to get so close there). But the truth is we are very judgmental of ourselves and we hold many parts of ourselves to impossibly high standards. A little acceptance here goes a long way.  Our bodies, for instance, are amazingly perfect machines that do amazing things effortlessly.  Every little blemish and scar are reminders of incredible stories that illustrate the beauty of life itself.  And the way we show up in the world? That is perfection personified. Just as the butterfly, the oak tree, and the sunset. It just is.  

So, go ahead, be Totally Excellent. It’s the perfect way to roll!