WHEN EXCELLENCE IS NOT ENOUGH!!

I used to be a perfectionist and I was a proud one. No one then could please me. I was the ultimate epitome standard of everything around me and once you don’t meet up with my imagery, you’re axed. And your guess is as good as mine, no one fits into it. I was such a corky guy lol!

Then, everyone around me acts like they’re walking on egg shells, but I was too blind (or is it too proud) to see. So I confuse their trepidations for being careful and my insatiable standard for being thorough. Seriously, the perfectionist thinks he colors the world rightly always Hmmm

In my arrogance, I assumed something must be wrong with everyone, because they always missed my mark, however they tried. And I of course concluded they must all be very lazy and are unwilling to give life the best shot. It never occurred to me that it would be almost impossible for them to make any headway with me, since I was always shifting the goal post to suit my narrative. Blindspot!

Oh boy! How so delusional I was in my perfectionist state. You dare not touch anything, I sure will know. As long as your effort is not perfectly fitted with my taste, it is not well done. Everything was gospel according to “moi” or nothing.

I was a god, and I loved it very much. That feel that you’re the best and something is wrong with everybody is something worse than being permanently high on drugs men! ?? ?? ?? ?? ??

Until one day, in my usual swashbuckling state, a shift happened at home, then I predictably flared up, cussed, ranted, complained and fretted over the mundane like heaven will fall. Then my wife, with a subdued voice said, “There is nothing I can ever do to satisfy you!” I shuddered internally! Too macho to be subdued before her then ?? ?? . But the statement melted my heart, I had to ask myself, “Am I that terrible?”

Up till that time, I had never thought I was acting way off the line. Never thought me obnoxious, because I had always believed l was very accommodating. It’s just that no one wants to understand that part of me. Pride stinks! ?? ??

Thanks to her, I started relaxing a bit, allowed people make their mistakes, reevaluated myself and what I stood for. Then one day, that quiet whisper on the inside of me asked, “Wouldn’t you prefer excellence over perfectionism?”

That was it, I changed my stance. Truly, it took time adjusting to not being critical of everyone according to my gospel, but I did. I started learning to appreciate others effort and encourage everyone around me towards excellence while accepting their frailties. I replaced critical spirit will the desire to be a cheerleader in other to bring out the best out of everyone around me and truth be told that felt much better, i tell you.

I have through that been able to raise many to discover their potentials and thrive therein. Through bringing out the best out of them without any sense of condemnation or uneasiness. The results have been wonderful, the environment peaceful and filled with love too. Now everyone around me is free, instead of “kissing the son lest he be angry” Arghhh!! Lol!!

Part of the hypocritical attitude of the perfectionist include the fact that his pass mark is known to him alone, and it shifts, and most times it’s only prevalent in those areas of his interest, while he plays the ostrich to his obnoxious side.. It is purely selfish.

It is a great thing to live for excellence in all we do. I want to encourage that you should like me have the watchword, “Whatever my hands find to do, I’ll give it my best shot.” A commitment to excellence breeds diligence, and diligence promotes and enriches in the long run

But what if excellence is not enough to bring you to that place of ultimate awareness and success? That’s a tall question and it’s most probably making me to lose you now ?? ?? ??

For true, excellence breeds efficiency and effectiveness which brings about optimum productivity that should ultimately lead to success. But in reality, this process is not ironclad.

The reality check is that beyond churning out excellent results, jobs and or products, you must intentionally work for you and your product to be accepted.

Acceptance is that thin line between efficiency and commercial success If for any reason, you dished out excellently the best there is but it is not accepted, it totally dampens your morale!! Not so?

Truth is, one sure booster of confidence in whatever endeavor we take on is acceptance. That’s people’s belief in what you’re bringing to the table, which somewhat translates to that belief in you, which is the height of success and the ultimate in all that we strive to do.

It doesn’t matter how much efforts you’ve put into what you do, it doesn’t matter how much it would be of benefit in the long run to the end users, it must first be accepted before it will effectively gain traction. In other words, you pitch your product with the hindsight of closing the deal ie. acceptability in the long run is the only guaranteed pathway to making a success out of an excellent product.

If you’ve succeeded in understanding a felt need, fashioned a product to meet it, then you pitched but the people it is meant for are not convinced about it, then as good as your product is, it will turn in to beeng an elephant in the living room.

To be believable is therefore the ultimate of all endeavors!!!.

The irony of life is that the best are not often at the top echelon but the believable are. What if I tell you that you’re better of being Believable at the expense of being Excellent?

It’s almost like the world settles for mediocrity, but it is what it is. And if you’ve looked around you long enough, you’ll have had reasons to wonder why some products or individuals are not getting the limelight while the punks are?

Faith in anything comes by it being consistently and sometimes systematically brought before you. As long as you are continually aware of it, there is every likelihood you would be convinced enough about it to opt for it, because you’ve become a believer of it. Many not so good products and caricature beings have gained untold acceptance, leaving many bewildered. Little wonder many of us have been hoodwinked by the smart alec advertisements and sales agents!!

The converse is also very true. Many excellent beautiful products and individual have also been brought into the market, but it was on the bases of acceptance and belief that they became commercial successes.

While not promoting mediocrity and lack of excellence, I will advise you work at being believable first even if you have an excellent product that can compete favorably with the best. Because in the long run, acceptance is what brings about the ultimate success even of your excellent efforts.

Selah!