14th September 2010
"Perfection is devastated by failure, while excellence learns from failure."
Denis Waitley
In my time management sessions I discuss the issue of `perfectionism'. Sometimes we want to do everything so perfectly that we don't want to do anything. We say that either we should do perfectly or not at all. While it is a good habit to do anything well, perfectionism syndrome will result in time wastage and fear of failure. The good intention of wanting to do a thing perfectly may not result in achieving the same.
Instead of wanting to do something perfectly, we can aim to do the same excellently. Excellent means `exceedingly good'. `Perfect' means `faultless'. We are human beings and we will cannot be faultless always. We can and we should avoid faults. But we should not be obsessed on unfailing quality. We should aim at continuous improvement.
When we want to be perfect, we may fall short of our benchmark of what it means to be perfect. Some of us may not have the maturity of mind to face failure. But most of us will be willing to bring about continuous improvement.
You need to know that the perfect book has not been written so far; a perfect song has not been composed so far; a perfect house has not been constructed so far; a perfect man has not born so far. But there are excellent books, excellent songs, excellent houses and excellent people all around us!
Try to excel in everything you do. You need not be perfect!
N C Sridharan
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