December 2008

The Practice of Perfection

As a master Pilates instructor, I travel up and down the East Coast to educate fitness professionals and enthusiasts. I tell my classes that there’s a reason why Pilates is called a “practice.” The reason is that you will never be able to perfect it. This simple knowledge alleviates a lot of the fear people have about their performance and helps them feel more successful about what they accomplish in class. It also keeps them coming back for more and seeing great improvements as a result.

In our own lives and work, we often use the quest for perfection as an excuse to stay stuck. Typically, the areas in which we feel this need create an ironic pull between a deep desire and a deep fear of failure. This pull results in a tug-of-war within your mind that often leads to a stalemate, with no progress being made, only continual stress.

To release that inner resistance, it’s necessary to shift focus from perfection to practice, recognizing that’s all you’re really ever going to get the opportunity to do. The message is not to be mediocre and settle for less, but to recognize that striving toward any goal in life is a practice. It would be a shame to miss out on the pleasures of this journey because you were too busy fighting the battle for perfection.

Put It into Practice:

Think of one area in your work or life where you are using the excuse that things must be “perfect” before you move forward. Dig deeper into the situation by asking yourself:

—What fear is behind my need for perfection?
—What consequences might I face if I just do it with the resources I have right now?
—What are the consequences if I wait until everything is “perfect?”
—How will I feel if I delay or miss out on this opportunity?

Use your answers to end the tug-of-war within your mind and determine how important this issue really is to you. Decide whether you should simply let it go—allowing you to move on and direct your energy to something else, or if you should press on with a renewed sense of enthusiasm.

Perform at Your Peak:

To delve deeper into the quest for perfection and identify other blocks to individual performance, book our signature program, Leading from the Core.

Ovations Inc. takes corporate teams out of the office to experience activities such as cooking, Pilates, golf and scavenger hunts. Teams focus on various areas of peak performance and apply the learnings back to the work environment. Contact us to find out how can help take your team to the top.

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