Forget Perfect; Be Excellent Instead!

There’s a swirling undercurrent in the river of life that’s attempting to drown life from your heart. It’s subtle and it’s stealth-like, as this thing called “perfectionism” comes in through the back door to thwart you.

Over the past week, a repetitive theme of perfectionism has emerged in the coaching of my clients. When this happens, I assert that there are more of you out there experiencing the same frustration and defeat that comes as a result of this striving for perfection.

Before I make this assumption, let me ask you a few questions.

• Are you exhausted because you can never reach the high bar that’s been set, because it’s continually being raised higher and higher?
• Do you find yourself running ragged trying to manage your household, your business, your relationships and everything on your To-Do List, to the point you feel chaos swirling within and around you?
• Is your life running you?

If you find yourself answering “yes” to any of these questions, I give you full permission to “Forget Perfect”! It doesn’t exist and the more you chase after it, the more elusive it becomes leading you to a life of inner chaos, overwhelm, and defeat.

Michael J. Fox said it so profoundly when he said, “I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God’s business.”

Let that soak in for a minute. Breathe in the truth of that statement as you give  yourself permission to reconnect with your humanness!

It’s time to make the bold commitment to “forget perfect”, since after all that’s really God’s business. Let’s all choose a perspective of “excellence” instead!

Here are three tips to assist you in the reach for excellence:

• Define Excellence. If this were a new value that you used as a filter for your life and work, what does it mean to you? Since values have an internal sense of rightness, make the definition personal and use this as an internal barometer for all that you do.
  
• Be your Best Self. Who are you at your best? What qualities and characteristics show up? Being excellent means bringing forth these attributes consistently and intentionally into your life and work.
• Extend Compassion. Remember you are human; you have strengths and weaknesses. The more you embrace the whole of who you are, the easier it will be for you to stay on the path of excellence. Let your life experiences be your learning tool that keep molding and shaping you into a more “excellent” you.

So what do you think? Let me know by posting your comments below.