TIP: Instead of perfect, aim for 1%
Excellence > Perfection, ALWAYS
Research suggests that striving for excellence yields better results than striving for perfection.
Why? According to Adam Grant, seeking perfection is problematic because perfection is an illusion, therefore it’s an unreasonable, and objectively unachievable pursuit.
In contrast, pursuing excellence elicits similar inputs, just without the burdens of pressure and certainty of failure that come with perfection.
And when even excellence seems lofty, the best first step is finding opportunities for 1% improvements: small tweaks and incremental adjustments that compound to generate massive, and uncapped results.
This habit formed when I realized the benefit of re-reading all of my outbound recruiting emails before pressing send (especially when using a template!!). It felt to me like a compromise between not reinventing the wheel (using a draft as a starting point) AND using each rep as an opportunity to improve the baseline: sometimes I’d find a better word to swap in; others, clearer punctuation, or a more enticing subject line.
What I came to see, perhaps diabolically, is that everything “good,” can also, always, be incrementally better. Small tweaks can yield big differences, each and every time.
The 1% rule can mean:
Making one more call, or sending one more email;
Finding one more prospect;
Adding .1 mph on the treadmill;
Holding the door open for one more person
The concept of 1% better is creating the mental framework that: while the path from here to excellence might be long, might feel abstract, and the steps along the way might not be fully clear or defined – when you keep taking steps, one after the next, each and every day, you will make progress. AND, you CAN get to where you want to go.
So, to heck with perfection! It’s a major paradigm shift to simply accept it as an impossibility, and instead spend your energy trying your best, and focusing continuously and consistently on 1% better.
And sometimes there’s 5% better! Feel free to follow my lead and spend your birthday week working poolside from a cabana 😎
Perfect!