WHAT APPEARS TO BE

I’ve got a relative who lives in a panic. Cut like Zeus, smart like Socrates, and witty like Twain, you’d think the man could conquer the world.

Alas, he hasn’t. Nor does he deliver stellar results. And sadly, he’s rarely happy. Why? Because he hasn’t conquered the demons in his head.

WHAT MIGHT BE

My relative longs for perfection. If something isn’t completed perfectly, he feels it reflects on his inadequacies. And so he walks away, slumping and angry.

Fact: business is no longer about finish lines. Life has become so fast we are seeing evolution right before our eyes. Conversations, projects, objectives, goals, relationships — everything — is about adapting, moving and renewing. It’s not about finishing. It can’t be.

WHAT CAN BE

If your widget rolls out the door successfully, celebrate the fact that you’ve earned a ticket to do it again — better. My relative, the perfectionist, celebrates because he’s done. But who wants to be done?

The fun comes in the run. The fun comes in seeing what’s next and doing it — the conversation, the project, the financial quarter — better than you did last time.

Forget perfection. Concentrate on being extraordinary. Moment after moment, we can be extraordinary in our actions.

What is the difference between what “might be” and what “can be”?  You decide.