Should Perfection Be Your Goal?
Goals give us direction by lighting the fire we need underneath us to stay motivated. Goals, however, are far from a predictable equation. In our minds, we picture goal achieving to go something like this:
Set a goal + consistently work toward that goal = achieve the goal.
Simple, right? Not quite. In reality, the path toward our goals looks more like this:
Set a goal + work toward the goal as consistently as possible + the realities of life (family, work, social life, holidays, sickness, injury, etc.) take priority over the goal + progress takes ten steps back + get back into the grind + progress takes five steps forward + motivation comes back + roadblock that is out of your control + pushing through = getting somewhat close to your goal.
When deciding which path would be more rewarding, consider the “why” behind the goal. The goal was likely set because it’s something you’re passionate about and enjoy working toward. What’s’ the rush for it to be over? Not only would that first equation be boring, but the simplicity of it would be infinitely less rewarding. There was nothing to overcome!
The reward is in the progress, not the achievement of the goal. Sure, checking that goal off your list feels great, but what do you do next? You set a new goal!