“I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God’s business.”
~Michael J. Fox

Please excuse my reference to God, if it doesn’t work for you. That being said, this quote rings true.

I often define myself as a recovering perfectionist, although people who meet me now don’t always see the recovering part! They think my perfectionism is incredibly strong…little do they know.

Perfection is so unattainable, and striving for perfection can be so detrimental. It is important to reach for excellence, to do the best that we can and give it our all. Excellence is a wonderful goal and wonderful place to be. Perfection, and the quest for perfection, can rob us of our very heart and soul.

So many of my clients aim for perfection – in their work, their parenting, their relationships with others, their bodies – everything. I’ve seen this goal to be “better than their best,” to quote Maria in The Sound of Music, zap them of their strength, their celebration for all they do, and their ability to excel.

It’s important to reach for excellence and to strive for the best, and it’s important to leave the perfection stuff alone. To enjoy where we are, who we are, and what we’ve done…and leave perfection to God.

Achieve excellence. Stop there.

Where are you striving for perfection? How can you let go?
Please leave a comment.

If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.


To stop striving for perfection, contact Robyn at rmcleod@chatsworthconsulting.com.

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