Have you noticed our growing addiction and obsession with perfection across society?
The beauty spa promises flawless skin. The gym promises a perfect body. AI promises to be the dream partner in our personal lives and threatens to be our ideal substitute at work! Hence, we often find ourselves at the unnerving decision point of determining whether we and what we bring to the table is good enough! It seems we are spinning our wheels in a race with no end. But what exactly are we pursuing?

The endless race

In this never-ending pursuit, we always encounter one question: what is good enough? When I was a child, my teacher asked me this as other kids left class for recess, and I struggled to put my pencil down. I heard it again in university when I spent far too much time with the professor after class arguing my case for why I merited additional extra credit points. Years later, as an employee, the same message echoed as my manager urged me not to spend umpteen hours editing presentations to ensure they were faultless before they left my outbox and entered the recipient’s inbox. You may have had similar experiences.

When we hear the words: that is good enough, do we always understand them? No! Sometimes, we are craving something else – validation: a desire for others to tell us we are good enough. And each time, the sliver of validation lasts long enough for us to notice another imperfection and reenter the race to right that wrong. But imperfections are not necessarily wrongs.

Embracing a new mindset

The Japanese art form, Kintsugi, reveals that spotting an imperfection presents an opportunity to create something new. Perhaps even more beautiful. Unfortunately, we often forego such benefits as we run after what appears to need no work. However, pursuing perfection comes at a price, such as failing health from imbalance, over-exertion, and losing connection with loved ones.

At other times, the hefty price is the turmoil of constantly chasing a new destination. All the while failing to realize that sometimes the destination is the journey. Rather than a gold trophy, it is character growth! Character growth enables one to go higher, not just forward. And to do better, not merely more.

In pursuit of growth

Occasionally, we leapfrog into growth. However, growth is more often continuous and cumulative. And the most reliable way to grow is to take one step at a time: We learn how to read by studying the alphabet one letter at a time. We make best friends through several steps: messages, conversations, and get-togethers. We acquire new skills by setting goals, experimenting, practicing, seeking feedback, and refining our craft.

If reading this bit makes you feel unenthused, it is worth remembering that life is not a sprint: The worthwhile goal is not to run fast. It is to live well. And to do so, we must determine when to put our pencils down and assert: This is good enough!

Here’s to your growth journey!

For you and to you,
Aké

Image credit: Pexels | Cottonbro Studio