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Jim L. Smith has more than 45 years of industry experience in operations, engineering, research and development and quality management. You can reach Jim at faceofquality@qualitymag.com.

Don't Wait for Perfection

August 29, 2011
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Too many times we procrastinate getting started on a project or even making a decision. What causes us to do so is the thought of failure. We need to change that pattern of thought.

You may not get it perfect on the first attempt. Don’t let that bother you because everyone has that experience. Go ahead, get started and do it anyway. Expect that it may not be exactly right the first time but know that you'll soon figure it out.

As humans we can come up with all kinds of reasons why something will not work or will go wrong. Get over that feeling. Get started. Work on it anyway, and commit yourself to handling each challenge as it arises.

Certainly, something unexpected may happen that will cause many of your assumptions or actions to be incorrect. Move forward anyway, because you are definitely capable of adjusting to changing conditions.

Maybe you won't get exactly the results you might have expected. However, that might be the most rewarding thing that can happen. Learning from challenges or achieving less than expected makes us stronger and wiser. With this newfound strength and knowledge, you'll discover ways to achieve even better results than you first expected, now and in your future endeavors.

There is absolutely no good reason to deny yourself the opportunity to achieve whatever you choose to accomplish. Life is about making a difference, and you will never run out of opportunities to do that.

Whatever has happened, whatever is going to happen, what people say, step out and take a step in a forward direction. Life is not perfect so don’t wait for perfection, it’ll never come. There is no perfect time to make a difference in your life and the lives of those who surround you. Move forward. Life is what you choose to make it.

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