| I wonder if you have the same reaction to the | | | | A gentleman spoke up and said, "I don't believe |
| above title that I had when I first heard it many | | | | that! Everything I do, I do perfectly. I was trained |
| years ago, which was, "That statement is | | | | as an electrician in Germany from when I was |
| impossible, we must keep striving for perfection." | | | | twelve years old, now I'm an electrical engineer |
| | | | and I do things perfectly." |
| If the above "Anything worth doing..." phrase | | | | I asked him to tell me if he could recall an incident |
| doesn't work for you, then what do you think | | | | when people were not doing it perfectly. |
| would work better? | | | | After thinking for a moment he exclaimed, "I |
| Not long ago at a talk I was giving, a lady | | | | know, the other night I was at a dance and |
| rephrased the statement this way, "Anything | | | | everyone was dancing in there own way with no |
| worth doing, is worth doing anyway." | | | | pattern, or real form to what they were doing. |
| When was the last time you did something | | | | Then a professional dance couple began dancing, |
| perfectly? I propose that you have never done | | | | and everyone stood around and watched them |
| anything perfectly in your life and you never will. | | | | do it perfectly! |
| Think for a moment... could what you think you | | | | He said this emphatically, but gradually a grin |
| have done perfectly been improved on in some | | | | began to appear, and he broke out laughing. He |
| way or manner, and made a little more perfect, | | | | said, "I went out to have a cigarette on the |
| or a little bit better? Obviously the answer is 'yes.' | | | | veranda and the professional dance couple came |
| How would you propose your perfection question | | | | out, and began talking, and then arguing that |
| to a child? Children love to play and roam and | | | | neither of them had done it perfect enough." |
| experience all they can of life. Suppose you were | | | | After he said this, I asked the group, "What were |
| to say to a child in whatever it tries to do, "That | | | | the people that were dancing poorly getting out |
| isn't perfect enough." | | | | of it?" |
| One time my son Mark, when he was about eight | | | | They came up with over twenty different things, |
| or nine, brought home a piece of art work he'd | | | | such as fun, exercise, connecting, social life, |
| worked on at school. This was fifty years ago, | | | | romance and so on. |
| and I remember saying to him, "It's good, but not | | | | I have often thought of how the idea that, 'we |
| good enough, you have to do things perfectly if | | | | have to do things perfectly' stops us from |
| you are ever to excel." | | | | enjoying so much of life. |
| How many times since have I berated myself for | | | | It is about the 'journey' not the 'outcome.' |
| making such a dumb statement? Naturally he | | | | Finally while writing this, I just received an email |
| never showed me any of his art work again even | | | | titled, Overcoming Writing Obstacles: Perfection |
| though he had a talent for it. What a way to kill a | | | | Paralyses. I thought it a fitting end to the topic of |
| child's ambition or gift. | | | | this article. |
| Another time I was lecturing on 'perfection' and I | | | | I would be happy to hear your thoughts regarding |
| used the above, "Anything worth doing..." phrase | | | | the above perfect article, or anything else that |
| to make my point. | | | | you might think informative. |