Fly on the E-Commerce Cyberwall

The Difference Between Perfectionism and the Pursuit of Excellence
I, along with many other business owners, frequently suffer from perfectionism. I hesitate to tackle important projects because I can't guarantee up front that I will carry them off perfectly.

I keep telling myself the old encouragement, "It's more important to get it going than it is to get it perfect," to remind myself that I can always tweak and improve something once it's created, even if it isn't perfect right out of the gate.

As a perfectionist, I tell myself that I'm seeking excellence. The other day, though, someone shared with me the differences he saw between excellence and perfectionism.

They really are complete opposites. What he said really struck a chord with me and inspired me to identify some more differences between perfectionism and the pursuit of excellence:

• PERFECTIONISM is the fear of being wrong.
  THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is the willingness to be wrong and to learn from it.
  
  
• PERFECTIONISM is seeing any effort that doesn't turn out exactly as planned as failure.
  THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is seeing any effort that doesn't turn out exactly as planned as a valuable opportunity to refine the plan and make it better.
  
  
• PERFECTIONISM is fear that others might think you don't measure up.
  THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is a desire to be the best you can be.
  
  
• PERFECTIONISM is staying stuck in anger and frustration.
  THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is growing beyond where you ever expected to grow.
  
  
• PERFECTIONISM is confining.
  THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is freeing.
  
  
• PERFECTIONISM is conformity to presuppositions.
  THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is exploring new possibilities.
  
  
• PERFECTIONISM is prejudging and rejecting any new possibilities.
  THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is embracing them as they prove themselves worthwhile.
  
  
• PERFECTIONISM is seeking to win admiration without giving anything of value in return.
  THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is giving something better of yourself to others.
  
  
• PERFECTIONISM is self-doubt.
  THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is confidence.
  
  
• PERFECTIONISM is closing yourself off.
  THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is opening yourself up.
  
  
• PERFECTIONISM is remaining right where you've always been.
  THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is a journey of discovery.
  
  
• PERFECTIONISM is a determination to defend an unproductive status quo.
  THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is a surrender to a greater good.
  
  
• PERFECTIONISM is fear.
  THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is trust.
  
  
• PERFECTIONISM is selfishness.
  THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is selflessness.
  
  
• PERFECTIONISM is a desperate and futile attempt to avoid rejection that you already expect as an absolute certainty.
  THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is the openness to explore and the expectation that that exploration will ultimately lead to something better
  
  
• PERFECTIONISM is the fear that something unpleasant will come from your efforts.
  THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is an excitement over the improvements that you will help discover.
  
  
• PERFECTIONISM is the expectation that your results will improve by continuing to do things in ways that have always failed in the past.
  THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is a willingness always to find better, more effective ways.
  
  
• PERFECTIONISM is a desire to stay exactly as you are and hope that doing so will make the world around you more compliant to your desires.
  
  
  THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE is a sincere desire to become all that God has made you capable of being as you make things better for others.
  

Hope this helps.
Jeff

Labels: mindset, perfectionism