The Pursuit of Perfection

I’m not a perfectionist. I don't fret over the details of things that need to be done. I’m more concerned with the why in doing and the intentions within actions as opposed to the how. I tend to function well in ‘chaotic’ situations, where no clear solutions are in sight and feed off venturing into the unknown. It excites me and it is this that fuels my spirit. In realising these traits about myself, I noticed that while most people strive for seeking perfection, I strive for in seeking something less elusive: excellence. 

So what is perfection? It is a flawless and faultless state; with no blemishes, defaults or deformities in it. It is the ideal state of exquisiteness that is so rare, it could be said to have an evasive nature itself, and hence not want to be found. Yet we search for it. We crave it. We obsess over it like attaining perfection in a process or act will justify a belief or fill a void in our lives. Well, in my life-journey, I have found this simple yet potent truth: 

“perfection does not exist! 

It is an illusion of the mind”

In my experience, seeking perfection is actually a hinderance to progress. So many people have wanted to do something with their lives but did not because they felt it was not perfect. To attain this flawless state, especially in the beginning of a new endeavour, is unrealistic. Too often people want to ‘get it right’ as quickly as possible without having to go through the humbling experience of falling down, getting dirty and yes, failing! And when your ‘perfect’ attempt does not succeed, it is often blamed on not being perfect enough, thus reinforcing the unrealistic expectation and heaping condemnation on yourself.  

I am guilty of this as well… I recall my first blog I wrote and how I was so fearful of what people would say/think of me. I wanted it to be ‘just right’ and this expectation fuelled others’; like the number of people who would read/like my blog, or the responses to it. The search for perfection exponentially increased other expectations, which started to create an unrealistic reality. It placed strain on myself, especially when things did not go as planned. But then I turned my focus onto ensuring my intentions were noble; trusting that they would carry through my work and be felt by my audiences. I shifted my perspective and began to strive for excellence.

Like perfection, excellence can have many definitions. For me, excellence is a distinct mindset which is more intent driven than results driven. It allows for you to fall down and experience whatever you have to, knowing that you did your very best. So instead of blaming you become bullish. You stop seeing hinderances and things become somewhat simpler because you have cleared yourself of the fear-based emotions that pile up with expectations. Thus leaving more room for creativity and out the box thinking. Another great thing about excellence is that it’s personal. It can’t be measured with tests or scores, in fact the only person who can gauge your excellence is you! You know when you have put your all into something, whether it is perfect does not matter, what matters is the intentions you put into it. Excellence is doing for the sake of challenging and growing yourself. It is a catalyst for your continuous evolutionary progress. It is more realistic and less elusive than perfection. Excellence is to do. It is to learn. It is to sacrifice. It is to become! All the time!

“Excellence is to be constantly in motion…” 

What excellence is NOT is thinking or pondering what is going to be done, it’s not sitting around debating on the perfect plan to execute. It’s not waiting for the stars to align and everything to fall into place. There is no such things as the ‘perfect time.’ NO, excellence is actually doing it and not being afraid to adapt your process to achieve your goals. Where most perfectionists would insist on a single solution to a problem, those in the excellence stream see the bigger picture and understand there are multiple  solutions to attaining what you set out to achieve. This takes guts. This often means admitting you were wrong and owning up to your mistakes (or learnings as I call them). It is being responsible for your intentions and actions.  Excellence is more than a process, its a way of life. You live it.

If we were to expand this further beyond ourselves and into our societies; then what would a society of excellence look like? What would we instil in our kids if 'being perfect' was not an option? I believe the pressure we place on our society to look, feel and act perfect places massive strain on self-esteem and is the cause of excessive behaviours. We seem to correlate perfection with ambition. What if instead of fuelling our children with ambition; we will fuel them with aspiration? One is for acquisition; ambition means more houses, better cars, the latest gadgets, things like that. Aspiration is for excellence, without thinking of reward. How different would our societies be? 

Want more? Check out part 1 of my 3 part series: Zimbabwe’s Emerging Future: (PART 1: THE NEED TO CONNECT). Look out for PART 2: THE POWER PARADOX , coming soon. This series looks at what makes progressive societies, tackles the urgent need to shift our perspectives on a global scale and delves into the repercussions if we do not change our way of living.