Perfection is a myth that most of us chase. We feel inadequate because our constant failure to achieve something that is actually unattainable. Perfection is a myth in marriage, in business, in parenting and in faith. All the important parts of life have this thing in common, none can be perfected. You will never be a perfect spouse, friend, father or sister. You will never be a perfect provider of services, giver of counsel or creator of goods. Perfection is a myth.
Even if perfection is a myth you still will end today feeling like you’ve failed in some way. The truth is, you have. The truth is, that’s OK. You’ll still go to bed wishing you had been more productive at work, kinder to your children or a better listener when your spouse was talking. Most of us will live lives full of regret. It is perhaps the worst emotion in our human experience. It has nothing to do with what is happening or can be controlled, it is playing back what you cannot control and only seeing your failures.
Create a small list of things that you want to accomplish today. Commit to specifics. Commit to writing a blog post of 300 words and including a picture published by noon. Don’t just commit to being kind to your wife. Commit to asking your wife how her day was and listening for the next five minutes, only stopping to ask her more questions about her day. Commit to specifics instead of dreams. Dreaming is great but it’s also full of things that you’re not going to measure or do today. Dreams are wonderful if you’re willing to take the million small steps it takes to achieve them.
Your business matters. What you do for 40 or 50 hours a week matters. Make sure you feel good about it. Stop living in that world of regret because it’s a lonely world even though many of us visit it often. Make measurable goals and take measurable steps. Go to bed knowing that your larger goal, whether it be a better marriage or a better business, is closer to being attained. Stop regretting and start keeping track of the things you accomplish. Those are opposites, regret and accomplishment.
