Are You A Perfectionist?

Issue #27

Happy Friday!! I hope you’re having a good week and when you sign off at the end of the day, you’re proud of the work you did. Which leads me to a new lesson, not found among the 22 in my book…

It’s Time To Ditch The Need To Be Perfect

Did you happen to catch the typo in last week’s edition? While I’m a good (maybe even great) writer, when it comes to spelling and grammar, let’s just say those were not my best subjects in school. And last week’s newsletter was written a little quicker than most before heading out for a much needed vacation. By the time you are reading this though, I will have returned home and let it go. 😊

We’ve all heard the saying “perfect is the enemy of good,” but I’d like to bump it up a notch and say perfect is the enemy of great. I’m also going to venture out on a limb and say that more often than not, perfection is unattainable. While the high C in me cringes a bit at that (I need to dot ALL of the i’s, cross ALL of the t’s and triple check everything), deep down inside I know it’s true. And often, in striving for perfection, we miss the opportunity to be great.

Last week I mentioned that humans will always need other humans when talking about communication and relationships. This week I’d like to remind us all, that we are only human, which means mistakes will be made along the way as we learn and grow. The key is in how we handle them.

In my case, when I saw my own newsletter in my inbox last Friday and noticed the typo, I cringed and kicked myself for not checking it “one more time” before hitting send. Then I exhaled, realized that you’d all know what I meant, and most likely wouldn’t hold it against me nearly as much as I was holding it against myself. I also accepted the fact that it could very well happen again at some point (I am only human after all) and that it will not be the end of the world.

So as you wind down your week and get ready for the weekend, do yourself and us a favor and swap out perfect for great or exceptional or even outstanding and then share your gift and your message with the world.

With you on the journey…