Never has our nation’s quest for perfection become as clear as in the past couple weeks. There is a difference between being a perfectionist and striving to become the best, perhaps in the world. Both take time and commitment, but wanting to be the best at something makes sense, while accepting nothing less than perfection does not.
Every workplace and every employee is a little different, and it takes all kinds to make the world go around. The saying, “nobody’s perfect” probably started in the workplace, highly doubtful that it came from the Olympics.
During these winter Olympics, we have seen some near perfects, some acceptable, and some devastations and disappointments. But, overall, we have seen people come together to achieve lifelong goals, and through teamwork and determination, accept the coveted prize.
If we put into perspective, the relation between what our athletes work so hard for and what our most successful employees/employers achieve, there are some amazing similarities. Successful people are not necessarily born with mounds of talent, they work really hard at something they are interested in and believe in. They usually have tons of support, from their families, friends, teammates, or coaches. The most successful people tend to focus solely on something specific until they reach the end result they had set out to achieve, sometimes taking a lifetime to achieve it.
There are ups and downs in any career or job, whether it is competing for the gold medal or building a business. Sometimes the competition might just be one millisecond ahead, or they meet the right person at the right time, or have a better idea, quicker! Still, just being able to accomplish something you set out to achieve is all that really matters.
Perfection doesn’t really exist and we don’t all have to compete with the best in the world. Success instead is taking something you like, getting committed to making it happen, surviving the ups and downs, staying focused no matter what, and sticking with it for a long time! That is what will eventually bring home the gold!
