Cuff links, who wears cuff links? He definitely took command of the room. His jacket fit absolutely perfectly. His shirt looked like he tediously ironed it for hours, after it had come from the drycleaners. His movements were limited, but not stiff. He was so darn smooth. He had thick black hair. You thought it would be thinning by now. When he spoke, you knew that he had each hour of the day planned. Who are we kidding, he had each hour off the rest of his life planned. His style was both casual and formal. His white collar had a blue collar underneath. Indeed, he was a man for all seasons. He was, in a word, perfect.
He speaks so well, it sounds like a foreign language. His teeth don’t look real. He is tall dark and handsome. His 2.5 kids haven’t missed an honor roll yet. He is arrogant and humble at the same time. When he pauses, everyone stops breathing. He wasn’t a future leader. He was the future leader. As you watch him work the crowd, you can’t help but think. “How can I compete with that?”
We all work with someone like this. Someone who makes perfect seem so easy. Though we are confident, we find ourselves wishing we were just like him. You’re afraid to admit it. Sometimes you hate him. In his presence, your specs seems like planks. Your nuances seem like nuisances. Your oddities seem like obsessions. You are more than comfortable being anonymous, until your boss walks in the room. It is clear the comparison is being made.
Before you throw in the towel, before you write yourself off, before you give every promotion to that guy, remember this. If you think you are perfect, there is no room for improvement. His perfection isn’t your weakness. His perfection is your strength. He’s got it all and he expects everything. You expect nothing. You will fight for everything that you get. That fight will make you better. That fight will force you forward. That fight is only possible, because of your lack of perfection. Don’t purge that doubt. Don’t lose that insecurity. Don’t perfect that imperfection. Use that doubt, insecurity and imperfection to motivate you to push past perfection.
Slightly different!
doc mu