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On the Fly Article Archives
Learning to Leave Well Enough Alone I always thought a B average was good. My parents were the first in their families to graduate from high school. They would be happy if I got C's in school - because that meant I was performing at an average. If I applied myself, I received grades between B+ and A-. When I attended college, I was making progress for the family. My husband, Bruce, had a different story. He always strived for an A. His parents graduated from college and had professional careers. He was very smart, and his expectation was to achieve even more. He thought a B was near failure. We had discussions more than once about the difference between our expectations. I like to be good at many things, but it is not my intention to be a perfectionist about everything. So, here I am - a professional speaker and corporate trainer. Why is it when I get one bad evaluation out of more than one hundred, I fret all night over that bad one? Am I not walking my talk? Why do we beat ourselves up over our imperfections? Why do we want to be perfect so deep down inside? When is "well enough" going to be good enough? After all, it makes sense to quit trying to be perfect. Logical sense. Everyone can't be above average. But the emotional side of us wants to make that proverbial grade. To peak out. To soar above everyone else. I guess it's a human condition, probably exacerbated by American marketing. Occasionally, we need to reconcile our emotional desire to be perfect (or at least A-) with our logical knowledge that we aren't. Maybe if we even learned to like the imperfect part of us, we could leave well enough alone. We could move on to more important things. Chris Waugh owns reNvision, Inc., and works with business professionals who want to learn to succeed on the fly. The author of several books, including 'Flying by the Seat of Your Pants,' she blends years of business management experience with her hang glider's perspective on change. Visit www.reNvision.com to find out more. Rights to reprint and reproduce the above article are granted as long as the reprint includes the full last paragraph and tagline complete with website information. We would appreciate an electronic copy or tear sheet.
© 2008 by reNvision, Inc. 
reNvision, Inc.Toll-Free Number: (877) 340-8483 Direct Telephone Number: (541) 270-0399 Email: chriswaugh@reNvision.com Mailing Address: 2226 North Coast Hwy #3 Newport, OR 97365, USA
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