The Quest for Perfection

Perfection is one of those lofty goals, somewhat intangible, that we often push ourselves or our athletes towards. And, depending on how you define the word, it can become an unattainable  goal. We won't always have perfect throwing mechanics, we won't complete every pass, we won't get every read right. Sometimes, we will fall short of our goals and expectations.  We try to be perfect, and we might not quite get there. But, it's important to realize that it wasn't perfection that was important, it was the trying.


When we dedicate ourselves to something lofty and nearly unattainable, we learn a lot about ourselves. We learn how hard we're willing to work, what our priorities are, what we truly care about. We develop and reveal our character; we test our spine.  We find out if we're a quitter or survivor, a problem maker or a problem solver, if we're the sort of person who finds excuses or reasons.  That is our reward for trying, even if we fall short of the goal.


The problem is that in today's world, so many kids resist trying. They learn they get a trophy for showing up.  They learn that if they give an effort and fall short of their goal that they should feel ashamed, and they become content with their participation trophy.  Ego and arrogance become substitutes for confidence, and bravado becomes the substitute for hard work.


With that in mind, here's the challenge we all need to face head on - pursue perfection. Pursue it with vigor, with dedication, with everything you've got. Realize that it will be a perpetual pursuit,  and it's the pursuit that matters more than attaining the goal. Find out who you are, what you're made of, how far you can push yourself. And then, push further. Break your own limits, develop character, and build some backbone.  To do this, we have to try, so try as hard as you can.


Try to be perfect. Reaching perfection would be incredible, but it's really the trying that counts.