Excellence Not Perfection

 

Some people say they are always striving for perfection.  While that may be an admirable goal, I am not sure that perfection is actually attainable in anything.  There is a business book that is over 25 years old entitled, In Search of Excellence.  It is a great business book, and its' principles are still followed today.  Excellence is more achievable than perfection.  People and businesses can actually be excellent at certain things.  We should strive for excellence, but not perfection.  One of my favorite organizations, Leadership Montgomery County, emphasizes this in one of its’ core values, simply stated as, “Excellence – Not Perfection”. Consider this quote...

 

"I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection.  Excellence I can reach for; perfection is God's business."

Michael J. Fox

Perfectionist

 

Are you a perfectionist? Do you want to ensure that everything is perfect before starting something, more importantly before finishing? Is perfectionism keeping you from moving projects forward?

Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good.

Think about it…

Procrastination

Procrastination is a problem for me. Just as the people that work for me.   I am not near as productive as I should be.  There are always good excuses to put things off.  Sound familiar? I feel a little bit like I am writing this MMM directly to myself!  There are two specific things I need to remind myself in order to become more productive…

Stop planning, start doing!

I am a great planner. There are a lot of plans in my head, notes in my desk, and lists on my computer.  I have regular work projects that need completion. There are books to write and businesses to start.  Planning is important but at some point, you have to just do it.  Plan appropriately, but don’t let the planning become the work.  More importantly, don’t let planning be your excuse for procrastination.

Don’t be a perfectionist!

Chasing perfection causes me to take longer to complete tasks.  It just takes more time to be perfect and it is almost never required.  This is actually a bigger challenge for those of us that are self-employed.  We don’t have others to impose deadlines and demand completion despite imperfections.  Just know that it always takes longer to be perfect and the payoff for that perfection seldom offsets the time it takes.