Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise,
risking more than others think is safe,
dreaming more than others think is practical,
and expecting more than others think is possible.
A poster of a soaring eagle with that description has hung on my office wall for decades, and the inspirational description is by Ronnie Oldham.
Striving for Excellence is so very aspirational and it keeps us on our growth-edge.
However, the quest for excellence does not imply the quest for perfection. We hyper-achiever types often push ourselves to do it ALL. To make it PERFECT. To answer EVERYTHING. We of course want to keep moving forward with agility and speed. However, the cost of getting the last 10% perfect, or even more so, the cost of getting the last 1% perfect, can be very (very) high. It can sap our energy from other activities and indulgences that delight us.
So, next time you are pushing yourself for Excellence, take a moment to pause and ask yourself whether you are actually pushing for unnecessary (and costly) Perfection.
Curious to know what you think …
Anna Minto
Founder & Consultant, Transformational Change
Executive Coach & Collaborator, You Are Possible
LinkedIn.com/in/annaminto
Anna Minto - Transformational Change 