Continuous Improvement Over Perfection
Ah, perfectionism. I've been a long-standing member of the Perfectionists Anonymous Club, meticulously crafting every detail until it’s ‘just right.’ Perfectionism may result in fine work, but it slows you down and holds you back. It wasn't until I stumbled upon Mark Twain's wise quote, “Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection,” that the light bulb finally flickered on. Add a pinch of Kaizen—the Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement that made Toyota an automotive giant—and you've got a recipe for sustainable success.
Mark Twain and Toyota: An Unlikely Alliance
Mark Twain, with his wispy mustache and knack for pithy remarks, probably never thought he'd be cited in the same sentence as Toyota, yet here we are. Why? Because Twain's principle of "continuous improvement" aligns perfectly with the ethos of Kaizen, a core concept that has been key to Toyota’s success.
Kaizen is not about leaps and bounds; it's about tiny, incremental steps that lead to betterment over time. It's about improving a little every day, whether it's cutting down the time it takes to assemble a car by a few seconds or tweaking a sentence to make it clearer. When we focus on continuous improvement, we're in a state of constant becoming, constantly evolving.
Voltaire's Friendly Reminder
As Voltaire so succinctly put it, "Perfect is the enemy of good." Striving for some mythical form of perfection is like chasing a rainbow. But when we set aside the need to create something 100 percent perfect and focus instead on making something good – or even excellent – we’re embracing the mindset of Kaizen. And, quite frankly, it’s liberating.
The Mirage of Delayed Perfection
You keep thinking that 'one day' everything will be spotless, exceptional, and without flaw. All the planets have aligned. Meanwhile, that day rarely comes, and when it does, you find that everyone else has shifted their gaze to a newer, shinier object. Kaizen, on the other hand, teaches us to be proactive, to tweak and modify as we go along. This way, we stay relevant, adaptable, and most importantly, in motion.
Mark Twain Meets Kaizen: A Path Forward
So how do we wed Mark Twain's wisdom with the philosophy of Kaizen? It starts with permitting yourself to be imperfect. Once you've done that, put your work out there—warts and all. If you’re a polished professional who, until now, has embraced perfection, chances are there won’t be too many warts.
Then, prepare for feedback and embrace. You may be surprised how well your work is received – even if you stop at 95 or 98 percent. What I’ve found is that chasing the additional 2 to 5 percent not only exponentially prolongs a project, but often goes unnoticed by the client.
Replacing the burden of perfection with the beauty of continuous improvement is a mindset I’m actively pursuing. Be it Twain’s one-liners or Toyota’s assembly lines, the message is clear: striving for better is better than waiting for the best. After all, a diamond with a flaw is far more interesting than a perfectly smooth pebble.
Neil Moore is a communications specialist, freelance journalist, masters athlete, and family man who believes that excellence has no expiry date.
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