Choosing Progress Over Perfection
One of the things that I have learnt is that consistent little actions carry more weight and produces better results than waiting for the perfect moment or the perfect opportunity. A lot of people do not move forward in life simply because they are stuck at waiting for the perfect time or perfect plan. What you need to understand is that, more often than not, perfection is a mere illusion. That is, it is like a moving target which may keep you stuck at a place while it moves on quietly. What really matters is not the attainment of perfection, but the progress made. It can be small and steady, but it sure has a better result than waiting in vain for perfection.
Think about how the water drops from the tap, and before you know it, the container will be full. It may take time, but the small steady progress you make will have a big impact in the long run. When you start going to the gym to build your muscles, you may not notice any difference in the first few days. But when you continue at it, over time, you will begin to see the result. In the same way in life, the result you want may not come automatically, but as you keep putting in efforts consistently, you will surely get there. Progress may look slow in your eyes, but cumulatively, it can pull the kind of power that you cannot imagine. This is because every step will definitely count, and will keep moving you closer to your target.
Waiting for a perfect moment or a perfect plan before you start is actually what leads to procrastination. You may want to go into business and you will be saying "I will start it when I have enough money." This might delay you from even starting at all. What you have to do is to start with the resources that you already have at hand, and you will have an edge over the person still waiting for the perfect start. Life has a way of rewarding the people who take the seemingly imperfect step in faith. Making progress does not mean you are perfect, neither does it mean that you already figured out everything. Rather it means that you have started and you will keep going. The people who have achieved success and greatness in their various fields of endeavours are not those who did everything perfectly, but those who keep going even in the presence of challenges.
The little efforts that you put in will add up to something great. When you take one little step daily, you will build up a habit that will multiply as time goes by. You do not have to wait until you can start big before you start, you can start small and with consistency, you will grow over time. If Jeff Bezos had been waiting to start big, he may not have started Amazon. But he started in his garage with what he had. Now, the same company has become at the forefront when it comes to E-commerce. This shows the power of progress over perfection. The key to progress is consistency. Doing the little things with excellence, not waiting for a massive opportunity or the perfect moment.
Even in nature, growth normally takes time. If you plant a seed today, you will not expect it to become a tree the same day. But when you give it time, with daily sunlight, nurturing, water, etc, it will grow and begin to bear fruits. In the same way, your little efforts, even though they may not be seen by others, are part of what prepare you for greatness and for breakthroughs. So stop wishing for the perfect moment and start taking steps from where you are. Instead of focusing on the end of the journey, focus more on taking one step at a time.
It is worth noting that even a slow progress is still a progress. Every step you take in a forward direction is a constant victory over fear. You do not have to do everything perfectly, just do your best and keep moving. One very beautiful thing about life is that the imperfect steps, as long as they are consistent and done rightly, will keep drawing you closer to your dream.
Thanks for reading
