Two men met on an airplane and began to talk. They asked each other the usual questions, and as it happened, one of the men was married and the other man was not. After a while the married man asked, "Why is it that you never married?"
The single man looked pensive then said, "Well, I think I just never met the right woman."
"Oh, come on," the married man replied. "Surely you've met at least one girl during your lifetime that you wanted to marry."
The single man once again thought about the man's statement. "Well, yes, that's true," he said. "There was one girl once. The perfect girl."
"Well, why on Earth didn't you marry her?" the married man asked.
"She was looking for the perfect man," the other replied.
Perfect is the ultimate praise. But trying to attain perfection can cause stress, hinder efficiency and create unnecessary conflicts. Perfectionists are frequently thought of as critical, overwhelmed, unable to see the big picture, stressed-out, anxious and rarely able to enjoy their accomplishments.
Perfect is also the ultimate impossibility. Most of us are content to settle for almost perfect, or pretty darn close. So it makes sense to focus instead on a goal of excellence: meeting the highest standards agreed upon for oneself or by the group.