Imperfect Can Be Good Too – ElPropósito2 min de lectura

Do you know what matters most in decision-making?

Image by Arek Socha from Pixabay

Searching my memory’s hard drive, I don’t have to go back far to see the shift I believe I’ve made from chasing perfection to accepting imperfection. I was an insatiable fan of perfection and detail. Maybe I still am, with a different focus: more human, more sensitive and just as good, one that lets me decide and keep moving. Read on to see what I did.

How many times have you heard the line attributed to Voltaire, "The perfect is the enemy of the good"? Our ability to decide depends on the mental models we’ve built from experiences that affected us in some way. Our beliefs are another deep-rooted condition that bears directly on how we decide.

Recurring thoughts feed on mental models (cause and effect) and on beliefs, most of which hold us back. They lead us to a point where we know what to do but not how: the so-called "analysis paralysis." Not deciding creates stress, makes us lose our bearings easily and drains vital energy we’ll need to carry out our plans. Deciding in time, by contrast, clarifies the way forward, boosts our sense of achievement and wellbeing and gives us strategies to reach our goals.

Inside the comfort zone, the perfect is the enemy of the good. Outside it, accepting imperfection is a first step and a great strategy for raising the odds of reaching the goal, or perhaps of finding a new way to live. Another big step is recognizing and accepting the moments when details don’t matter, when imperfect beats nothing at all. And finally, learning that life is a road of small victories, far from one perfect race.

Decisions mark milestones in our lives. The ones backed by a plan and values, and driven by purpose, carry extra confidence, courage and resolve. Leaders dare to leave their comfort zone because they trust their decisions rest on those pillars. They know they have a compass to guide them and confirm they’re on the right track, and that their greatest learning will come from questioning their mental models and limiting beliefs.

Warm regards and have a great week,

Rodrigo Baccaro

P.S. This week I taught in the master’s program in Project Management at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala. My heartfelt thanks to all the students for what they taught me. Above all, I admire their leadership and their ability to step out of their comfort zone and shine. My very best wishes, always.

Author: Rodrigo Baccaro

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