We come to work with a desire to perform, to excel, and to do the best job we can.  Many of us have been trained: in school, by our parents, by our peers, by the media to be perfect. Perfection is the ultimate goal. Or is it?

I would argue that perfection is impossible and that it actually creates different kinds of problems for people, especially at work. So here’s what I’ve seen:

• The person who is always working late hours, missing deadlines because the work output isn’t perfect.
• The person who delays making a decision, deferring it because they need more analysis, facts, and people to check with to make the perfect decision.
• The person who is afraid to make a decision for fear of being wrong and not being perfect.
• The person who takes it personally when something goes wrong because they’re not perfect.

So let me clear…you can’t be at an unacceptable standard of performance. You have to be accurate. But getting to the next level of “perfect” burns a lot of calories…and the law of diminishing returns starts kicking in. Not to mention, the clock is ticking. Remember the professor who marked you down a grade when your paper was late? Well, that also applies at work as well. “Perfect” delivered late isn’t perfect.

No one expects you to be perfect at work…. you’re expected to make mistakes. Now, some mistakes it’s hard to recover from (see Lessons Learned number 1), but most mistakes you can, depending on how you handle it. No boss will ever tell you perfection is the goal…but continuous improvement is. That means 1) fix the problem, and 2) make sure it never happens again.

Here’s the analogy I often use: yes, we need a flight plan in order to take off. But if we spend all our time on the tarmac trying to account for every possibility that could occur, we’re just burning fuel and time. Once you get the plane in the air, you’ll have the ability to make inflight adjustments. You always want a plan B. But at some point, you have to go.

You are not perfect. You know that: so stop holding yourself to that standard. What you are is someone who can learn, and gain experiences to be successful in what life throws at you. What’s better than perfect? Peace of mind knowing you are doing the best you can do.