Perfection is an unattainable goal for us imperfect humans. But knowing that doesn’t necessarily stop that little voice inside our heads from leading us to failure. You can hear him say, “They’re not going to like how I look, how I dress, how I sound, or what I have to say.”
You have to get past this perfect goofiness to stand out. First, turn off the little voice by putting the focus on the audience to which it belongs. Then set realistic goals. We all instinctively know that perfection is impossible to achieve, but being your best is achievable. Seeking perfection ensures failure. Working to be the best creates success.
This is not to say that you should accept anything less than excellence. But aiming for perfection is a barrier to your best performance. Consider the world of sports for a moment. By anyone’s measure, Tiger Woods is an excellent golfer. He is not perfect. If he was, he’d have a hole-in-one every time. Do you think he would be heading to the Hall of Fame if shooting an 18 was his goal? No, he would be headed for a breakdown.
Have you seen teams that play not to lose instead of playing to win? To avoid mistakes and achieve perfection, they play it safe. More often than not, they also seem to lose.
Aiming for perfection does not allow you to stretch and grow. You miss out on exciting opportunities if this is the way you choose to play. Let me suggest that you be willing to try new things, make some mistakes, and build on them. I am preaching progress, not perfection.
Perfect Nonsense creates paralysis and a lack of passion, which interferes with our ability to connect with the audience.
If you set reasonable goals and congratulate yourself as you move toward those goals, then you’re well on your way to surpassing an imperfect goal.