Progress, not perfection.

One of the hardest things for a Type-A personality like me to accept is that I am not perfect. I will make mistakes, I will take wrong turns, and I will say the wrong thing, and it is okay.

I remember when I was working toward my terminal degree (and yes, it feels like it will be terminal sometimes!), and I had an instructor that was terrible at giving feedback. This instructor would give one-word replies, and nothing to go on to make improvements in my work. I kept getting graded work back with a dreaded "B" grade, and no information on how to make it better. I was an A student! I had been on the dean's list almost my entire college career, with a 4.0. How could I be getting B's from this instructor? What would this do to my perfect record?

I was literally in tears one evening after receiving yet another B on a paper and I had emailed the instructor yet again for more information and gotten no answer. My husband sat me down and asked me, "Will you pass the course with a B?" I reluctantly answered yes. Then he asked, "Will you graduate with your degree with a B in this course?" Again, yes. And the nail in my perfectionist coffin: "Will any employer ever look at the grades you earned to deserve that degree?" Highly unlikely.

What he was trying to point out to me was that the important thing was making progress, not perfection. We have to make the choice to keep moving forward, even when we make mistakes and stumble and struggle. In my case the unattainable perfection I was seeking almost made me quit moving toward the goal. Perfection is often the enemy of progress. Don't let the pursuit of perfection rob you of the great things that happen when you simply make progress!

Email Me