“Let’s not make the perfect the enemy of the essential.”
I’d like to make the case for the not-so-perfect. President Obama said this to lobby for his economic stimulus plan. However, it applies to so many things in life. The pursuit of perfection (which is arguably an impossible goal) can stall any action at all. Who or what is truly free from fault or defect? And in spending time seeking perfection, what other valuable things are we not doing?
When I’ve heard someone (usually a boss) ask for people to give 110 percent, I wonder if they skipped math class. That “go get ’em” attitude is ingrained in our culture. And yet this quote seems to applaud a really great effort – it values trying. So, instead of seeking perfection, let’s be thoughtful, let’s strive, and let’s remember to look for the lesson found when we stumble.
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