“The goal is not to be perfect, but rather to be better.” 

In a quick search of the internet, this idea has been voiced many times, by many professionals, public speakers, and motivationists. Yet, hearing these words come out of my twelve year old, they hit me harder than a dump truck with a full load, going fifty-five miles per hour.

I have to assume he ran across the concept while scrolling through various social media platform reels searching for anything related to football rather than simply having a deep psychological epiphany.

The youth football season starts TODAY. He’s pumped. He can’t wait to get on the field with his teammates and go full-contact. This day has consumed him for the past month. He has practiced his throwing, done some drills, and watched plays by the pros. I may be slightly biased, he was pretty damn great for a first year player last season, but he is determined to be even better this year.

Excuse me as I likely botch some football terminology. He will fumble, he will drop an interception, he will get tackled. He’ll be the cause of a failed play, and that's ok, as long as he plays better than he did last year, gives it his all at every practice, and surpasses his previous week's game performance as the season moves on. 

He’s ok with not being perfect, but will aim to be better every time he gets into uniform and steps foot on the field. 

I am aware that I am far from perfect, and to be honest that has stressed me the heck out. His words of wisdom, much greater than his age or life experience, have altered my mind set. I will never be the perfect wife, mother, friend or leader. I will stumble and I will misstep. Sometimes, I will down right fail. And that, thanks to Xander, is ok as long as I put in the effort everyday to be better than yesterday, I am succeeding. 

I don’t strive for perfection, I strive to get better everyday. 

The Illusion of Perfection

To achieve perfection is to cross an imaginary finish line. If in our minds we believe that we have reached the end, there is no reason to continue moving forward. The race is over, we are in first place. However, those that chase betterment, continue running forward, learn and grow with every opportunity, become something greater than perfection as there is no end to improvement. They become unstoppable. Even an MVP can land on the sidelines if they no longer put in the effort to cultivate continued greatness.

Belief that perfection has been achieved is the death of innovation and improvement. 

The Passiveness of Perfection

How boring it must be to be perfect. There is no carrot to chase, no light at the end of the tunnel to reach. You have conquered all there is defeat, your days are filled with simply being perfect. Gone are the teachable moments, the drills (whether physical or mental), the desire to learn. While the thought of laying on a sandy beach, being fed grapes and frosty beverages seems like perfection in itself, the lack of doing something will soon result in atrophy. The flawless individual will soon be outdated and obsolete. 

Just like our physical form, our minds and actions, talents and capabilities must be nourished and exercised. To allow them to be idle, will surely cause deterioration. 

The Path to Perfection

There is no finish line. There is no end goal. The path to perfection is a continuous circle filled with milestone markers, achievements, and celebrations. It also contains set backs, hurdles and down right failures. One may make a perfect play, give a perfect directive, have a perfect day in the office, but that does not ensure that tomorrow promises the same results without continuous effort. 

The goal is to keep running, to maintain and foster the momentum to move us forward. Never stop striving to be faster, smarter, better. Idleness rather than progressiveness ensures a penalty will be received, leading you further from the coveted touchdown. 

As the day moves on, I have seen my son in his helmet and full gear multiple times. He’s pumped to get back in the game, and work on improving his skills everyday. He may not be perfect, but he’s pretty darn good. 

Practice makes better.