How would you take a comment, "You are a perfectionist". As a compliment or complaint? Well, I look at it as a veiled complaint. And that's what happened on the May 1st Friday morning, when someone at work made that comment.
Does perfection mean doing it right? Or following instructions to the the dot? What is perfect to me may not look even close to well done for someone else. So what does it really mean when someone say I am a perfectionist? Am I putting them off in any way? Stepping on their toes? Do I consciously strive for perfection? In my mind, I am trying to do it right to my satisfaction. Do I think my satisfaction means this is perfect? Nope! I know the same things I do can be done better, differently, and in a shorter/longer time to different results by other people! So it is not perfection I am looking at, it is the joy of doing it - weather its cleaning windows or cooking dinner or finishing up my work. That's the only thing that matters at the end!
Give your 100% effort to what you are doing, and enjoy the process of doing it. See if this makes you feel happy, accomplished, and/or satisfied. Know the feeling when we eat a meal you love? Do you feel like that after doing something? or do you feel drained or anxious, and look for acknowledgement, appreciation from others? I think when we look for perfection, we may look for appreciation, praise and acknowledgement from others. We may set up ourselves for judgement, feel anxious and resent it later. If perfection means all these, I do not want any of it!
So what exactly is this perfection? Where does it exist? Perfection, very similar to beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Perfection is shaped by the individual experiences and expectations. Your perfection may not necessarily be the same for the one who is evaluating, looking, or experiencing your work of art, meal, reading your words or whatever it is you produce. And when you look for appreciation or acceptance, things may result in disappointment and resentment. Who needs that?
When I give my 100% in doing the things I enjoy, I am not aiming for perfection. I am doing it for the joy, the fun, the satisfaction of doing it - the result may be clean windows, a sumptuous meal, monthly paycheck, happy garden, etc. And all these things make me happy. Difference between perfection and personal satisfaction is very clear. From your lenses, if that looks like perfection, so be it. Life moves on!
Does perfection mean doing it right? Or following instructions to the the dot? What is perfect to me may not look even close to well done for someone else. So what does it really mean when someone say I am a perfectionist? Am I putting them off in any way? Stepping on their toes? Do I consciously strive for perfection? In my mind, I am trying to do it right to my satisfaction. Do I think my satisfaction means this is perfect? Nope! I know the same things I do can be done better, differently, and in a shorter/longer time to different results by other people! So it is not perfection I am looking at, it is the joy of doing it - weather its cleaning windows or cooking dinner or finishing up my work. That's the only thing that matters at the end!
Give your 100% effort to what you are doing, and enjoy the process of doing it. See if this makes you feel happy, accomplished, and/or satisfied. Know the feeling when we eat a meal you love? Do you feel like that after doing something? or do you feel drained or anxious, and look for acknowledgement, appreciation from others? I think when we look for perfection, we may look for appreciation, praise and acknowledgement from others. We may set up ourselves for judgement, feel anxious and resent it later. If perfection means all these, I do not want any of it!
So what exactly is this perfection? Where does it exist? Perfection, very similar to beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Perfection is shaped by the individual experiences and expectations. Your perfection may not necessarily be the same for the one who is evaluating, looking, or experiencing your work of art, meal, reading your words or whatever it is you produce. And when you look for appreciation or acceptance, things may result in disappointment and resentment. Who needs that?
When I give my 100% in doing the things I enjoy, I am not aiming for perfection. I am doing it for the joy, the fun, the satisfaction of doing it - the result may be clean windows, a sumptuous meal, monthly paycheck, happy garden, etc. And all these things make me happy. Difference between perfection and personal satisfaction is very clear. From your lenses, if that looks like perfection, so be it. Life moves on!
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