What really does the word "perfect" mean in our society today, and why does everyone strive to reach it? According to the dictionary, the word perfect goes hand in hand with words like flawless, exemplary and unsurpassable. Of course, as human beings, our innate behavior is to want to be the best, whether it be excelling at pitching a baseball or reciting Spanish verb conjugations, we all reach for what is considered to be "the best." The downside to perfection is that it truly is unobtainable. This phenomenon is particularly harmful in our society that often sets perfection as a goal. It can be extremely discouraging to fall short of reaching a goal every time you attempt to reach it because you simply have set an unobtainable goal.
The success-driven and overachiever-ridden world that we live in is responsible for forming our perfectionist mindsets. What defines perfection? Is it scoring three touchdowns in a game? No, because you can always score four. Is it scoring a 100 on your calculus test? No, because now you have to do it again. Is it even securing the highest paying job at your company? No, because there is always a higher paying job somewhere. Why do we spend so much time striving for something that does not exist?School teachers, coaches, and parents alike are notorious for preaching, "practice makes perfect," and sure, alliterative statements are all the craze, but my mom taught me something so much more powerful than alliteration: "practice makes better." In kindergarten, while my perfectionist little self had cried over not being able to write the letter K, or when I lost a ski race by .001 seconds (yes, that is possible) she would calmly remind me, "remember, practice makes better" and sometimes I would tell her that I had to be perfect and that she didn't understand. Now I am 18, and getting better is all I focus on. It is not imperfect that rattles my bones anymore, it is losing or not making progress.
The aim for perfection is particularly detrimental to young children. Bantering on in a child's mind that if he just practiced his multiplication tables one more time he would surely get a 100 just gives false hope, because maybe Johnny just is not gifted in mathematics. Why is that not okay? That is why I propose to encourage Johnny by persuading him to "practice one more time and you will get better!" instead of coaxing him with the familiar tune of "practice makes perfect." This will allow Johnny to recognize his accomplishment when he finally gets 9x8 correct as opposed to him hanging his head low when he only misses 4x8 and falls short of "perfect".
However, this truth does not only apply to children. As adults, we can apply this to our lives every single day, in small or big ways. Every day does not need to be perfect, it won't be! But you can smile at one more person today, check one more thing off of your to-do list, or run for one more minute, all while inspiring those around you to shift their mindsets from perfection to improvement. Although perfection is unobtainable, there is a way that you can feel perfect and that is by being the best version of yourself.
