During my banking career, it must have been obvious to one of my peers that I had a “perfection” problem, because I remember being given a Reader’s Digest article entitled ” Aim for Success, Not Perfection.” I’ve carried that article with me for over 18 years, and come to think of it, the “subject” of the article as well.

Most of us work for our living, either as an owner of a company, manager or employee, and we all engage in the delivery of some product, service or both. In the process of doing our work and delivering our goods, we’re actually creating or producing what it is that we deliver. That may be a report, a legal document, a widget, a process, information, assistance, or a myriad of other things.

As we engage in our enterprise, there is a measure of “quality”, that goes into the process. This can be a function of standards, expectations or status quo, all of which are in place to enhance the success of the enterprise. However, another very common element often present is PERFECTION.

Perfection, as it relates to the healthy pursuit of excellence by people who want to meet high standards, is a good thing. Perfection, as a roadblock to taking action because your product or service is never “good enough”, is counter- productive. This can be rooted in beliefs about failure, self-esteem, self-worth and fear of judgment or rejection.

Perfection often reveals itself in the form of procrastination. I see this in my own life as I consider calling on a prospect, writing this journal or preparing for a presentation. When I expect perfection, I risk procrastinating and not taking action, thereby undermining my success. This can produce a lot of other unwanted results, like disappointment, stress, anxiety, a bad case of the “shoulds, coulds and woulds”, or depression

What I realize is that high standards are good; however, if I let the need to be perfect impair my progress, those high standards don’t serve me or anyone else. I also realize that the people enjoying success take action “enough”, and are not bogged down in doing it “right” or perfectly.

A recent trip to a local deli gave me some perspective. While waiting for my turkey sandwich, I began to wonder about the lunchmeat business. If I were in it, I would want to produce the best turkey possible. I’d want it to be of high quality and value. I then noticed the Head Cheese. I’d not make some odd-looking concoction of unidentifiable parts of a pig and calf suspended in a gelatinous gunk. Nobody would want that. It wouldn’t sell. Then I asked the woman making my sandwich, “Do people ACTUALLY buy this?” She said, “Yes, they buy lots of it. It’s one of our top sellers.” Really?

So there I’d have it, Dave’s Deli, with the slogan - Closed for research while working to perfect the world’s best turkey! Right next door you’d see, Howard’s Head Cheese - Sold By The Ton!

Often times, what works (and sells) does not look so pretty, nor is it perfect. Where is perfection bogging you down or causing you to procrastinate? How can you apply the Head Cheese Philosophy to getting a better result?