Perfection is Deflection

But it’s never been my ammunition.

I remember coming home from school, and whether it was my mother cooking late after we were told to take out food to thaw, or my stepfather cutting the grass or washing the car by hand after work, they always did them joyfully well.

My grandmother, when she cooked dinner that she would sometimes send to us or made handkerchiefs to sell on the side, did them well too. When my sister’s and I did our laundry and cleaning on Saturday morning’s after watching cartoons, we did them well. Because who would want to redo what you could do best the first time?

“We learn an art or craft by doing the things that we shall have to do when we have learnt it: for instance, men become builders by building houses, harpers by playing on the harp.

Similarly we become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.” - Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, Book II, 73

Of course, this doesn’t apply to every part of life. For instance, with startups, some benefit from just enough to get traction, an understanding of possible customers, and building out. That’s understandable. But it’s also not the whole of life and people.

While living in our fast moving, carbon copy, competitive world, it’s easy to make assumptions and most do. It’s easy to assume we all think the same and are chasing the same thing when your circle and associates are. But, what about life outside of it? What about life in the world beyond your own?

One advantage of being taught to do things well is having a standard of excellence in a society that no longer encourages it. It easily makes you stand out and puts you under the assumption of perfection. I used to think I was obsessed with perfection as well. But, after consideration, it’s never been my ammunition. It’s been the act of growing up in an environment of doing and giving your best. You become what you repeatedly do; they become habits. It’s partially why I do so many things well.

So how does one practice excellence? By starting with the fundamentals in everything that you do and always aiming for your best. Think of excellence and perfection akin to the stars and moon. We’ve been to the moon so it’s always possible, but there’s nothing wrong with shooting for the stars.

And ignore the naysayers who dwell on perfection, and try not to become them as well.