perfect vs good enough
Academics pushed the narrative that a 100% was a realistic outcome. Study well enough for a long enough period of time and you’ll do perfectly on the upcoming quiz. That works well in Academics but falls apart in real life.
“Perfect” is either unrealistic or flat-out doesn’t exist in real life.
My personal life is probably the best example of this. I spent hours upon hours researching the best workout routines, best hair-care routine (curly-heads know the struggle), the best skin-care routine, the best productivity routine, you name it. Hours, just to arrive at slightly different variations of the same answer: it depends.
The best workout routine is the one that you can consistently do (it depends on you ability).
The best hair-care routine is dependent on your hair texture and health.
The best productivity routine is the one that you can consistently stick to (Depends on the various psychological intricacies that govern your ability to do tasks).
When I started my professional life, I realized that no boss wants the job perfectly done (especially when you’re paid by the hour).
Mopping the retail floor perfectly didn’t impress my boss more than the fact that the retail floor got mopped. Who cares if it’s perfectly done? It’s going to get dirty again.
Organizing files in alphabetical format didn’t impress my boss more than the fact that the files were given to the right people.
In the real world, done is often better than perfect.
Something being done imperfectly is even better. Why? Because you can do a little better next time. Imperfection is what’s needed to reach perfection. How will you know what’s perfect without being familiar with what’s imperfect?
The basis of progress is that there is progress to be done. Without it, there’s no need for progress. Therefore, we shouldn’t shy away from
Imperfection, but rather embrace it.
Instead of trying to figure out the best workout routine. Figure out what exercises you like to do and go from there. Instead of trying to figure out the best skin-care routine, just experiment with different products until you’ve got something that works. Same goes for practically every aspect of life.
The very aspect of living is an act of improving upon what is already there. Our cells continually adapt to our internal and external environment. If they don’t do it fast enough, we augment them with vaccines or die.
What’s the best cell make for a person? It depends.
A fixation with perfection is just a form of procrastination. What’s easier? Doing a task or watching a video on the best way to organize your task management system so that that task is broken up into blocks small enough that you can time them into 23.4 minute intervals with 4.3 minute breaks? The video, of course (why do you think self-help is so popular). I have a growing suspicion that everyone (including me) knows exactly what they need to do. After a little reflection, it should pop up. So it’s not a matter of what but how. Here’s a very, very unknown phrase that will answer the how.
Just do it.