Defining Perfection and Consistency: Do We Confuse the Two?

“It’s not about being right. It’s about doing what’s right”.

I have been really fascinated over these past few weeks. The majority of my adult life I have heard peers say, “There goes Mr. Perfect, Mr. On Top of Everything,” etc.

Yet, from the people I have the opportunity to lead I’ve heard, “You are genuine, you take care of me, and I’ve learned so much from you.”

Wait, what? I’m dumb founded. Let me give you a snapshot of why we are even on this topic.

Light 💡 Moments:

During a meeting with our manager we were recapping Chapters 24 and 25 from Turn the Ship Around by L. David Marquet. In a nutshell, we were on the topic of leading others and Marquet was talking about people, relationships, and effecting change.

My manager said something to me that will stay with me for the rest of my life. She said, “I get it, it’s about the people,” and she finished it’s with “you ultimately work for your boss.” Mind Blown!!

I never thought of it that way, it made me think, you are right. As a leader we work for our people. It’s win/win. We take care of one another. It’s just different perspectives.

Here is the real treasure I have searched years for. I was listening to a podcast from Shane Parrish and his Knowledge Project. In this podcast Parrish was chatting with Jim Dethmer.

The GOLD nugget I took away was when Dethmer said he did a measurement and found that most people in organizations keep between 40 to 60% of their agreements or promises.

Hot damn!! I started my journey of being a better person 5 years ago, and it took sitting on a rowing machine at the YMCA and listening to a podcast to find such a meaningful piece of insight!

Think about it… if most people are 40 to 60% effective, that leaves 40 to 60% of things undone and left to become issues. If most of us do this in a professional setting how well or unwell do we do for ourselves on a personal level? It can’t be that different.

The Double Edge ⚔️:

Here’s the kicker for me. It seems when there are people who choose to be different and be 60 to 90% effective the term perfectionism comes into play. It doesn’t quite make sense. Labeling seems to fit the response by most people.

On one side of the sword we can follow what most people do and be mostly effective. While on the other side, we can choose to be responsible and effective to minimize NOT following through for both ourselves and others. As a result, these people are labeled as perfectionists. That is so far from the truth.

To me, perfection means something has 0 flaws or 💯% and that is what perfectionists are satisfied with. On the other hand, consistency is where something has fewer flaws, compounds overtime, and is more effective.

Trust me, it sucks when people say curt things to make you feel bad about who you are and what you stand for. Yes, some people may fit the personality types of highly detailed, but that is not being a perfectionist.

What it comes down to…

You may have noticed some bold words and a consistent theme throughout this article, and that is because it is exactly what we face in our lives every day.

We can wake up and choose to do what most people do or we can choose to be committed to things we hold dear to our hearts, create consistency for our own selves which then yields consistency in your professional life. Simple!

Takeaway Points:

If you use one thing from this, takeaway to NOT do what most people do. It’s your life. It’s your career. Don’t just talk the talk. Walk the walk!

If you need a starting point try this:

• Write down what you plan to do each day for a week.
• Separate your tasks between personal and professional. You know your schedule. If you don’t get to something that day, put it on for the following day, and prioritize it.

Check out what this past week looked like. I had days where I didn’t get to things.

This week was tough. A two day snow storm that affected me personally and professionally. Which is the same for everyone else in New England. Life happens. This week sucked!! Embrace the suck!

Guess what? I made things happen. I had a plan but adapted daily. As I look back at this week I am proud of what I did for myself, my family, and also for my team and our business.

I could have said screw this and let myself think I’ll get to it later. Not going to work. I still have things I didn’t complete and I will carry those over and knock them out 1st thing.

Keep it simple. Try it for a week or even 2 weeks and then build your ability from there.

DON’T be what most people do. Be what most people DON’T do. You will thank yourself later!!

Until next time!