In all things, strive for excellence, not perfection.

Perfection isn’t possible. It just isn’t. And anyone who expects perfection is doomed to never be satisfied. Excellence is attainable. It will be far from easy to get there. And it will take hours of hard work, discipline in your actions and behaviors, dedication to the task and forsaking other things in your life to achieve it. But it is there if you want it. You will never reach perfection. And neither will I. I’ll never cook a perfect meal or write the perfect story. You’ll never play the perfect game or perform the perfect concert. But we can reach excellence. I have spent countless amounts of time and energy trying to attain perfection in one aspect of my life or another over the years, only to realize that it will never be in my reach. And this is not to be critical of your efforts or mine. It is a warning that we should all set attainable goals. If my goal is “to be rich,” I’ll never get there. If my goal is “pay cash for a new SUV,” that is an attainable goal. Don’t strive for perfection; you’ll never get there. Reach for the top of the ladder instead. It’s not the stars, but it’s pretty damn high!