Many of high-achieving clients tell me that they demand perfection. As a result, they’re often upset and discouraged when things don’t go according to their expectations. In fact, their unhappy most of the time…
I tend to suggest a healthier approach – Rather than expecting perfection, strive for Personal Excellence.
Perfection is a theoretical construct that almost never occurs. There are too many variables outside our area of control, including our own fallibilities as human beings.
Personal Excellence accounts for the factors that are not in our control, and we’re not hampered from pursuing excellence even when things don’t go “perfectly.”
For example, when we make mistakes or things go wrong, we can calmly do our best to compensate rather than frustrating ourselves over what has already occurred. That’s an exercise in Personal Excellence: allowing for imperfection and adapting to it.
The demand for perfection is instantly frustrated with the first imperfection, but nothing can stop you from pursuing Personal Excellence.
Perceiving it differently doesn’t necessarily change your circumstances, but it facilitates clearer, more flexible thinking.
The very best to you.