During a recent conversation I said, “I strive for excellence because perfection is impossible”, which resonated for the other person. Later she shared that she ‘used the two interchangeably, when there is a difference’.
I pondered her statement all weekend, perplexed by really what was the difference for me.
Here’s where I landed: excellence and perfection are different because of how I feel, which in turn changes my behaviors…I feel inspired and uplifted when I strive for excellence. It’s a personal benchmark and fully belongs to me. Energy courses through my body and my mind is electrified. My eyes sparkle, sometimes I sing, and the process is effortless. I become more creative and easily move on to the next project or ‘thing’.
On the other hand, I feel defeated and frustrated when focused on perfection, which seems imposed by ‘them’, a moving target, and outside of my control. I get mentally blocked, procrastinate, feel tired, and often just quit. I don’t want to do the next ‘thing’ and am more easily overwhelmed.
Even in just writing thses two small paragraphs, my energy waned writing the second one!
So for me, I will continue to strive for excellence, and let go of perfection.
What do these two words mean for you?
~ Christy
