There’s No I in PERFECT

“P-u-r-l-i-f-t! Perfect!”

My wife and I stifled a chuckle as our second grader struggled while practicing the #1 challenge word on his spelling test. I responded, “That’s not quite perfect. Try again.” He made a couple more attempts before we assisted. Denise professing, “There’s no ‘i’ in perfect.” He seemed a bit upset that we would correct him. I told him we are his parents, and “We are here to help. After all, son, nobody’s perfect.”

Have you ever had one of those moments when you’re giving advice to someone else and realize it’s time to turn the spoon around and swallow the medicine yourself? Words echoed. There’s no “i” in perfect. There’s no I in perfect. We are here to help.

Nobody’s perfect. We’ve all heard the phrase. We know it to be true. However, we expect perfection from ourselves, and more often, from others. We act surprised and hurt when perfection is not attained and friends let us down. We silently judge our coworkers as they make mistakes we believe we’d never make. And yet, weeks or months later, we find ourselves in the middle of the same mess. We struggle with plans, paintings, writings and our hair, wanting the outcome to be perfect. We shop for the perfect house, perfect dress or perfect car. The desire to achieve perfection can control our daily thought process. If you, like me, struggle with perfectionism, keep reading. I believe we can move beyond a perfection driven mindset. If you’re not like me at all, keep reading, because you probably know me, and I’ll need your help!

#fromwhereIsit there are four changes we must make together to overcome perfectionism.

1. Believe we are all the same. Einstein, Jobs, Michelangelo- none of them were perfect. The wondrous mural on the Sistine Chapel is not perfect. Siri is not perfect. Einstein’s hair was certainly not perfect. All of the greatest minds throughout the human race have imperfections. So do you and I. It’s okay. Breathe. We are in good company.
2. Strive for perfection, but be willing to accept excellence. A previous manager of mine once said, “I will expect perfection and settle for excellence.” I was admittedly turned off by this phrase, believing he had unreasonable expectations. After some inquiry he explained that by expecting perfection, his teams would find excellence more attainable than they once thought possible. Norman Vincent Peale seems to agree with his slightly more famous quotation, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
3. Forgive the occasional lack of excellence from yourself and from others. Believe the best in those who let you down. Give them the grace you would want them to show you in your weakest moments. Chances are, they already know they caused disappointment, undo stress and even lost time or money. Give them the dignity of a mature, honest conversation rather than passing quick judgement. In doing so, you will find it easier to forgive yourself when you fall short of your own expectations.
4. “We are here to help.” Since no one is perfect, strive for perfection as a team. Put pride aside and surround yourself with friends, colleagues and family members who will give their strengths to fill in your weakness gaps. Be willing to ask for help, they already know what you’re great at and where you struggle. Likewise, offer your strengths so you can help others to excel.

Today is the day to move beyond the impossible realm of perfectionism and embrace attainable excellence!

Unless you’re an astronaut or an independently wealthy space explorer, you’re not getting off this spinning home any time soon. Unless you’re Jesus, you aren’t earning your “Perfect at all times in all places” badge either. Today is the day to move beyond the impossible realm of perfectionism and embrace attainable excellence. You’ll be glad you did and so will those around you.

Question: Have you struggled with perfectionism? Have other helpful hints to move beyond the trap and embrace attainable excellence? Comment below and help others to grow. 

The post There’s No I in PERFECT by Nathan A. Claycomb first appeared on From Where I Sit. Enjoying From Where I Sit? Subscribe in the upper right-hand sidebar to join me #fromwhereIsit.