I was always taught since my childhood that one should aim
to be “perfect” in everything one does… From one’s behaviour as a human being (or
even as a kid) to academics to sports or whatever. Does that make one a
Superman? The thought definitely appears so!
There are many people who strive for perfectionism. Yes, to
be “perfect” in everything! That’s not to sound bombastic. But many people do
follow this path.
Does this approach make one person the perfect human being?
Well, is there anything called a perfect human being? Is it
possible? What do people who strive for being perfect do?
While it may sound that being perfect is the best thing that
can happen – let us revisit it once again – Is it really the best thing?
Let me summarise my views on this.
To me the thought of being perfect is in itself a daunting
one. And being “Perfect” in whose eyes? One’s self or others’?
Whichever the case may be, I would say perfectionists are
generally harsh on themselves. They do not like anything even slightly below
their so called benchmarks and get shattered even with smaller failures (if it
is short of perfection as per their definitions). They generally get obsessed
with the outcomes, and not on the processes or the journey. They feel good when
others recognise them as perfectionists and perhaps that motivates them to go
on that path of “perfection” further, which perhaps helps in boosting their
ego.
There is also a paradox that if one goes towards the path of
perfection they may end up “excelling” in an activity even if they have fallen
short of the perfection. Sadly it does not work like that. The person who is a
perfectionist, even if he has excelled in something, will fail to recognise
that activity of excellence if it is below the perfect mark. There are no room
for mistakes to be corrected. It has to be perfect. Period.
So what is better? Not sure if it is a better thing to do -
but certainly seems to be a wiser thing to approach the path of Excellence…
People who are in pursuit of excellence are self motivated,
enjoy their journey of achieving and excelling! If there are failures midway,
they do not get demotivated. Probably they are disappointed for a short time,
but recover fast, learn from the mistakes and move on with their journey of
excellence and keep raising their bar all the time.
Excellence seekers are generally more collaborative in their
approach with other people, in their pursuit unlike their perfect counterparts
who tend to become judgemental and may have a condescending attitude towards
people who are not “perfect” in their eyes.
Quick course corrections, adaptability and flexibility in
different situations, patience etc help in making the person seeking excellence
more emotionally stronger and confident as one goes through journey unlike the
perfectionists who dwell on creating perfect conditioning, environment and
perfect outcomes.
Enjoy the journey towards success and not be bogged down by
the fear of failures. The approach with confidence will be more powerful than
the one with doubt.
Aim for bettering your best and do your best!
