The Perfection Paradox

The desire for perfection is counter productive. It takes your focus away from the process and puts the result under spotlight. When the focus is on the output, then the process becomes hectic. But we spend most of our times in the process of doing something, the outcome lasts only for a fraction of a second. You spend most time climbing the mountain and very less time at the peak.

Aim to get your work done every day. Aim to show up everyday no matter what. With every attempt, try to get better. Slow and steady.

Results are a by product of the quality and the quantity of your process.

QUANTITY - determined by how often you show up. It depends on how consistent you are.

QUALITY - measure of its efficiency. It is a test of how well can you optimize your process for better results.

Guess what, the quality of your process can be improved only when you show up every day. If you do not spend your time doing the actual work, how can you rectify your shortcomings? You can increase your efficiency only if you spend enough time by actually doing the process.

Michael Phelps has 28 medals in Olympics. 23 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze. He said that he went 5 years straight without missing his training. Every single day for 5 years, he was in the water. The first time he started to swim, he probably did not complete a single lap. Summation of multiple failures is what made him succeed. Had he bothered about perfection, you would not have known Michael Phelps today.

Simple things done over a long period of time are much more effective than complicated strategies and plan that strive for perfection.

If you hit the gym for 4 days a week, and just eat simple home food and drink enough water, you will eventually get in good shape. You do not need a meticulously planned workout regime and tons of supplements. Simple things repeated over a long time compound into remarkable results. It is okay if you have a bad day at the gym or could not stick to your plan for a day. As long as you show up daily, you will eventually reap the benefits.

If you have an exam to prepare, you get your materials, study them, solve questions and revise. There, that is all the strategy is. What matters is if you can show up every day from now till the day of your exam.

All the other extra things you do are just ways to optimize your preparation for better output, but at the core, you have to show up every day.

Do not be so rigid about aiming perfection. Be flexible.

You do not learn to swim by looking at people swim. Take a deep breath and plunge into the water. Throw yourself into the unfamiliarity. That is the first step to becoming familiar with the unfamiliar.

Two friends were strangers before the first conversation started. There was nervousness as to what to say. Only when you start talking does the conversation flow. The friendship will never become perfect.

Just close your eyes and dive into the chaos. You will either get familiarized to it or come out of it with a learning. But it is better than staring helplessly at an opportunity go by you just because you desired nothing less than perfection.

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