We all know that nothing in this world is perfect and no one in this world is perfect. Yet we tend to put this pressure on ourselves to try to be perfect. That is an easy way to discount your great work and it’s an easy way to completely burn yourself out.
I operate 18 out of 21. I first started this with my main meals during the week (breakfast, lunch, dinner). We get three of them a day and with seven days a week, it equals twenty-one. I knew that if I try to go perfect with my meals every week, I would start to get tired of it or start to feel bad if I go eat somewhere else. So I decided to give myself 3 meals a week where I get to go anywhere. I thought to myself, if I eat 18 out of my 21 main meals at home, I’m doing something right. I then started to compare it to sports. If some shoots 86% in basketball, they are a Hall of Famer. If someone bats 86% in baseball, they are a Hall of Famer. If someone completes 86% of their passes in football, they are a Hall of Famer.
This now has carried over to my daily tasks. If I complete 86% of my tasks then that’s one hell of a day. I’m not saying don’t try to complete all your tasks but if you only get 86%, then that’s great! Life happens to all of us which can keep us from doing everything on our list. But imagine if you complete 86% of your tasks every day for the rest of your life. Better yet, imagine if you had completed 86% of your tasks or goals on your list from the past where you would be. I had my tasks set for yesterday and unexpectedly, I got a flat tire due to me driving over a nail and I spent 45 minutes in the tire shop. I wasn’t able to complete everything on my list but I did most of it which still felt great.
86% is not bad. We associate 86% with a B due to school but we all know at this point that life doesn’t care if you were an A student or B student or C student. You always hear me speak about pursuing excellence and what that means is doing the best you can every day.
We can’t be perfect but we can all be Hall of Famers, and 86% will make you a Hall of Famer in any sport. And for those of you who don’t know what is a Hall of Famer means, it means being the best of the best in your sport.
Respectfully,
Josh Melendez