Perfection Vs. Excellence

A few weeks ago, after church on Sunday, we were going out to lunch. On the way there, my husband and I were talking about worship. I was in the nursery that Sunday, so I was just asking how it went. We started discussing how it wasn’t perfect, but it was still good.

So often, I think we focus on perfection instead of excellence. There are some things I know I can not do perfectly. So, does that mean I just shouldn’t do them? Or should I do them to the best of my ability?

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For those of us with children, I hope we have learned that perfection can not be a requirement. If it is, you will probably find yourself micro-managing and hovering over your children, all.day.long. When my children do their chores, I often hear them say, “It’s too hard. I want someone to help me. I don’t want to do it” in their best whiny voice possible. I have multiple responses, but one of them is, “Do the best you can.”If they do the best they can, I make sure to tell them I am proud of them for doing (fill in the blank).

My friend introduced me to a neat little saying that has become normal to hear around our house:

Work while you work, play while you play. This is the way to be happy each day. Whatever you do, do with your might. Things done by halves, are never done right.

If we would let go of our perfectionist attitudes, and instead focus on excellence, doing the best that we possibly can, I believe we will teach our children something great within that. There is nothing wrong with aiming for perfection. I think, especially as a Christian, that my aim be perfection. It is letting the failure of perfection get us down that is the problem. As long as we give it our all, we should have no reason to be ashamed. We should have no reason to get onto our children, when we know they are doing their best.

What do you think? Do you strive for perfection, and if not attained, feel like you’ve failed? Or, do you strive for excellence, work hard, and do the best you can, and feel like you have accomplished your goals? How do you make your children feel? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!

Blessings,