STRIVE FOR PROGRESS AND NOT PERFECTION

In the pursuit of our dreams and goals in life, what we do most times is strive for perfection instead of progress. 

Striving for progress is getting better at what we do each day because we are a constant work in progress everyday of our lives.

While perfection is like "If I fail, I won't give it a second shot." If I don't get it this time, then it's over." 

If it doesn't come out as expected, then I'm done." If I lose, then I quit." and so on and so forth.

One who is striving towards progress always knows that failure is not fatal and success not final but rather finds the courage to keep going on irrespective of what happens.

You are much better of getting things done than getting things perfect. Seeking  perfection will only get you stuck with no headway in life at all.

Each time I want to write on a topic or an idea, I don't wait to get the perfect picture of what to write.

I first of all pen down random thoughts on the idea that appear as drafts and then later make sense of the thoughts written.

Sometimes I experience what is called 'writers block' where my head gets blank on what to write even when I had an idea of what to write but I always come back to it and finish up instead of giving up because just because it doesn't look perfect.

And surprisingly, even when I finish a write up and feel it's all good and perfect, there is always something to correct or edit for the number of times I come back to it.

Imagine waiting for a perfect write up, then I will never have anything written and not getting anything written will also lead to my inability to learn and grow.

People get stuck at a place despite all the hard-work and struggles because all they seek is perfection and not progress.

While we may not notice the effect or impact of what we do, there is an amount of progress we achieve everyday.

Every day we transform with every effort we put in to get better. We are evolving and moving constantly towards growth.

Sometimes, we don't notice the little progress we make because we are constantly comparing our lives, our goals and dreams with that of others and then feel discouraged to pursue and stay true to our dreams.

Truth is, someone will always be higher or better than where you are at the moment while you will always be higher and better than certain people at the moment and the growth continues. That's how life is.

The best bet for you to achieve success in your endeavours is to forget about coming out perfect but progressive from where you where to where you are right now and to where you hope to be in the nearest future. 

While perfection may not be achievable, progression in life is very much achievable. If we all wait for perfection, then nothing will get started how much more being done.

Appreciate and be proud of how far you have come in life with those little steps you take everyday.

Instead of focusing on not being perfect with your craft, focus on your daily steps or routines and keep moving towards improvement.

Instead of beating yourself up for not reaching a point of perfection, step back and see how far you have come, then you would realized and be surprised at the progress you have made so far.

Imagine reaching perfection in your life, then there would be no need to do anything in life again. 

WAYS TO STRIVE FOR PROGRESS AND NOT PERFECTION

1. MAKE YOUR GOALS REALISTIC AND NOT IDEALISTIC : When your goals are realistic, making progress every day won't be a problem to you.

Even when the odds stand against you, you would be able to withstand them and overcome them instead of quitting. 

But when the goal is idealistic, there would always be the temptation to wanna quit when things don't turn out as expected. Idealistic goals make you want to get perfection at all cost and in turn gets you stuck at a place.

2. ACCEPT THE FLAWS OR ERRORS : Along the line of pursuing your dreams, you may encounter some errors, challenges and notice some flaws. When you do, should that be enough reason for you to quit? The answer is NO.

These errors, difficulties or challenges you experience even help you progress better in life as you learn valuable lessons from them on how to do it better or approach the situation better next time.

So never make quitting an option. One of my favorite mantra is "you will never know until you try." Another one is "Never Say Nevr." 

Have this mentality in you and you would be amazed at how far you go in life when you learn not to quit at every mistake, error or flaws seen.

3. BE PROUD OF HOW FAR YOU HAVE COME : Even when the progress seems not visible enough for you, be proud of how far you have come because if you take a step back you would realize you are not where you use to be.

Be proud of every little step you have taken to get to the point where you are now and appreciate God and  yourself for those little steps taken.

Be proud and happy about the the experiences gained and the valuable lessons learned in the process of the journey.

4. KEEP CELEBRATING YOUR LITTLE WINS : Every step taken successfully is a win to be celebrated. 

If you can't see the little efforts you have made and the little successes achieved, you won't appreciate the big win.

Celebrating your little wins do not only give you a heart of gratitude, but also motivates you to keep going despite the odds.

KEEP TAKING NEW STEPS AND KEEP TRYING : There are times you might face resistances even from places or people you least expected in the pursuit of your dreams, keep trying, never say never and keep taking steps.

Just as one of my favourite mantras says "you will never know until you try." Until you try, you will never know what you can achieve.

Let this spur you into taking more steps and actions every time it seems like you are blocked. 

HAVE A CHANGE OF MINDSET : Stop seeking perfection but progress in life with the pursuit of your dreams.

Stop comparing your progress with that of others and mind yours only. You can draw inspiration and motivation from others but don't compare yours with them because we all run different races and at different pace. Remain and stay focused on your lane

BE PATIENT : Above all, be patient. Be patient with yourself, be patient with your progress. Patience it is said is a virtue.

Be patient for as longs as it takes you to make progress in life and become successful. Success is not achieved overnight but with little progresses here and there, we achieve success.

So cultivate patience and be patient with your dreams, goals and progress. With time, the result will show and you will be grateful that you were patient enough.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Let go of seeking perfection every step of the way. Accept that you may falter at certain points in your journey. Know that you might make mistakes and commit certain errors. It's all part of the journey. keep going and don't give up.

Beating yourself up will only make things worse. It would lead to creating negative feelings about you and your dreams. 

Once you let go of striving for perfection but progress, it's easier to see how far you have come, little wins made and over all success achieved.

When your mind is focused on progress and not perfection, you won't see the need to compare yourself with others and their race.

Quote for the day - "Know that you are not perfect but a constant work in progress."

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