Many of my students strive for perfection. In theory, there’s nothing wrong with this PURSUIT.
However, in practice, many people associate validity and self worth with the attainment of perfection.
If you achieve perfection, you are a good, worthy human being.
If you “fail” to achieve perfection, you are somehow “less than” those you perceive to have achieved perfection.
I dislike this way of thinking for the simple reason that human beings are incapable of perfection. Because perfection is impossible to achieve, setting such a goal is not useful and often counter productive.
As an alternative, I prefer striving for excellence (which I’ve written about previously here). One very practical and concrete way to strive for excellence is to do as follows:
Instead of aiming for perfection, set a goal to set a “personal record” (or PR for short).
As the name suggests, you aim to best your previous best outcome.
What I like about this approach is that it’s internally focused. You set the standard for yourself.
It’s all focused on continual self-improvement. If you improve your skill level by a mere 1% each week, within a year you’ll have improved over 50%.
(And yes, I recognize that if the 1% growth is compounded, the growth is much greater than just 50%.)
And then when you set a personal record, the victory is entirely yours and only meaningful to you. You’re achieving for the audience of one — you.
This is better than achieving so someone else can notice and approve of you — which is often correlated with valuing the opinions of others over the opinion you have of yourself.
So in every endeavor in which you seek to improve, consider aiming for a new personal record — rather than aiming for some notion of perfection. It is far more satisfying, far more achievable, and far more self-validating than the alternative.
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26 thoughts on “This is Better than Perfection”
Hi Victor,
It’s my first time responding to your advices and tips. I got to hear of your case interview tips through my wife who aspires to become a development consultant(social/educational).
We are both studying postgraduate courses in petroleum production engineering and public administration respectively at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen UK.
I write in response to your recent article on “This is Better than Perfection” as it particularly concerns me and my ordeal so far on the course. Coincidentally, I was revising for my resit exams when your mail came in; reading your comments on self-improvement and “personal record” truly got me thinking more positively about bouncing back towards completing my degree. Since suffering my setbacks, I have recognized my flaws and acknowledged that there is always a first time(at failing) and it’s ok to take two steps back and three steps forward!
Looking forward to sharing my success story in the near future.
Thanks for the countless tips and guides!
Best Wishes,
Damilola.
Hey Victor, AWESOME insight!!
TRUE MASTERY
You hit the nail on the head perfect timing for me!
Thank you for helping me discover this within myself.
Evan
I just read the book “How Champions Think” by Dr. Bon Rotella and that is exactly the same sentiment he gave. Champions strive to be better than anyone previous to them but don’t let that cloud their incremental improvement and process. Thanks again for the wise words Victor.
Luke,
The other thing about champions is when you’re the best, there is nobody else to beat other than yourselves. Market leaders best their own best. They set their own standard.
Victor
Hi Victor,
Thank you for the newsletter and sharing your expertise with us. I am one of the receiver of your newsletter and I always find them valuable and useful. Having different opinion for you last newsletter gave me this opportunity to thank you.
In my opinion, some part of goals setting and celebrating achieving our goals are coming from receiving complement from others. Then although I may achieve my goals, unless part of those goals, are not valuable in eyes of others, I may not reach the 100% satisfaction.
Best Regards,
Ardeshir Razmyar
Ardeshir,
We each have our own values. I’m a big proponent of deciding your own values for yourself. You have clarity on your values and goals. Best wishes in achieving them.
Victor
Hi Victor,
I am a third-year Chemical Engineering student from India. Not only am I an avid reader of your articles but also I have a serious interest in getting into the Consulting sector.
I read a recent letter of yours in which you talk about how aiming for perfection should not be one’s priority. I completely agree with what you said. I don’t like the fact that we live in a world where one’s success is measured by their net worth, I would personally prefer if it were based on a person’s ability to give back t0 society.
As you said in your article, perfection is not something that can be practically achieved and thus, having goals which aim to be perfect is redundant. I was inspired by how you compared setting a personal record vs achieving perfection and I’ve now decided to follow the same by improving my skills set by a certain percentage periodically.
Thank you so much for consistently writing these nuggets of knowledge which keep inspiring people like me all across the world.
Karthikan,
Thanks for your kind words. I’m always amazed how small the world feels online.
Victor
Victor,
Achieving excellence does not guarantee success. I strive to keep things in balance – excellent work, family, friends, community, and health.
Pavel
Pavel,
I totally agree. For me, the value of excellence is personal pride and satisfaction. I’m okay with being excellent and unsuccessful – but that’s a personal value of mine.
Victor
Wonderful how you send out softer messages than what I can imagine that many who use your material hear in their heads.
I loved the piece you wrote a few months ago on values and finding your own way. Wonderfully compassionate and thoughtful.
Nicc,
Thank you.
Somethings I have learned the hard way – with much pain and suffering. Hoping that others can benefit without as much struggle.
Victor
Hi Victor,
Man wakes up every morning looking for ways to validate his/her self worth of life’s value for themselves through some form of “perfecting ways.”
Yet, at what point does one’s “self validation” bring forth meaningful life purpose and valuable pursuits. Trying to chase perfection is like a dog chasing its tail; at first glamous or humorous, yet after a while, one looks on with folly – perfection, relative to what?
Achievement (perfection is a by product) is how we have been created, yet to know the why’s before the how and to know the who before the what, can we begin to understand the end from the beginning life’s “in between pilgrimage.” Learning how to prioritize life’s value shall lend credence to better understanding life’s perfecting value and perfection in our life and in the life of others.
Kindly,
John
Well said
Hi Victor,
Thanks for this insight! I wonder what you think about the pursuit for example for a Noble price or an Oscar? This would be a pursuit of gaining other’s recognition, but I think it can be extremely satisfying.
Thanks,
Tobias
Tobias,
I think the people who set out to win a Nobel prize do not. Those who set out to change the world in their field, and do, are the ones who tend to win a Nobel. And those who do change the world don’t need a Nobel to tell them they did amazing work. The world changing is amazing enough.
Don’t confuse goals versus by products of achieving goals.
Victor
I couldn’t agree more Victor. Perfection is not a smart goal. Your suggested approach is also really helpful in nudging us all to think about our own priorities and ambitions. I think all too often society encourages us to strive for achievements based on the achievements of others without providing us with the framework and support to identify our own values and goals.