The Myth of Perfection

Mar 13, 2023

Have you ever wanted everything “just right” before you get started?  Did you start over countless times because your project needed “something” else? If so, you may be suffering from a prevalent mindset permeating every fabric of modern society: it’s called perfectionism.

Perfectionism brings your success to a stalemate, holds captive your creativity, and plunders your potential. Unfortunately, it has become a highly respected form of procrastination.

We are often made delusional in our Digital Age. Today’s technology gives us the ability to alter every image, sound, and scene. With a few mouse clicks and key commands we can make perfect productions every single time. What we don’t realize is that we are simply viewing a highlight reel and not the reality of hard work and inevitable human imperfections producing a finished product.

Nearly 120 years ago two men were determined to achieve powered flight. Wilbur and Orville Wright were able to achieve this feat in December of 1903. Can you imagine being the first in history to fly an aircraft?

As glorious as this achievement may seem, it wasn’t close to being what we would call perfect. Let’s look at the first flight compared to modern aviation. The first flight was less than one minute in duration, the distance was less than 900 feet in the air, and to top things off, much of the press along with many flight experts didn’t believe the event ever happened at all! Today, the longest non-stop commercial flight begins on the island country of Singapore and terminates at New York City’s JFK airport after traveling 9,537 miles in just over 18 hours.

The first flight was far from perfect. I wonder if the Wright Brothers ever considered what it would take to land if they were ever able to take off? Remember, this has never been done before. There was no flight school and there were no pilot licenses. No control towers and no flight maps. All that existed was a determination to fly.

What idea do you have on your mind? Are you impeding progress by having a relentless desire to know all the outcomes before you finish? Just start and get better along the way. Launch the blog. Incorporate the company name. Ask for the sale. Submit your résumé again. Take the class. If things don’t turn out just right and you keep going, you may be named among other greats who seemingly fumbled their way to success such as Harland Sanders, Elon Musk, or Thomas Edison. Each of these men attempted to manifest an idea that was not close to being a success for the first time. If you are not named among them, at the very least you will have the satisfaction of knowing that your effort was worth the investment. 

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