The Philosophy of Perfection

Many people are aware of the old saying "practice makes perfect." Well I am going to squash all the beliefs within this saying and get everyone to use a new saying. When I teach all of my classes, the saying I use is "practice makes better."

Why do I change the saying? Because NOTHING is ever perfect. No matter how hard you try, nothing you do, nothing you say, nothing you make, and nothing you become will ever be truly PERFECT because nothing is meant to be perfect.

Now of course we come across things in our lives that we can damn well think "Holy cow, if that ain't perfect, I don't know what is!" But take my word for it. Nothing is ever perfect.

However, I have been called by almost everyone I meet, a perfectionist. And I must say, I agree wholeheartedly with all these people. I am a perfectionist. But I'll go a step further and say I am a perfectionist who does not believe in perfection! I am always pushing myself to improve and get better and better, and sometimes people assume that I am just never happy with what I accomplish, or what my students may give me. But that is not true. I am very happy. I say be happy, but never satisfied!

You see, I believe perfection to be a myth. Because what I may think is perfection may not be what someone else might think is perfect. And what someone else thinks is perfect might not be what another person think is perfect. You see? All of a sudden perfection has different bars. The standards vary and perfection cannot be pin-pointed.

My problem with perfection is that there is a limit. No matter where you see perfection, or someone else, or another person, there is an end. Perfection means nothing more can be done to improve. You have reached a peak and that is it! This is why I do not like the notion of perfection.

When you say practice makes better, you are are not in the mindset that there is an end to your improvement. By saying you can become better, you can reach your peak, and then continue to push that peak beyond limits you ever thought you could ever have! Defy the odds that you can only do so much. That limited thinking will limit you in your goals, your accomplishments, and will limit your capabilities.

When you are a white belt in martial arts, one of the first things you learn is a low block. I am a 3rd Degree Black Belt going for 4th Degree, and I am STILL making my low block better and better. Why? Because I do not limit my thinking by thinking I could never possibly improve such basic techniques. We can grow so far beyond our imagination, it would be such an injustice to not allow ourselves to explore what we really can do. And it is all based on the negative mentality that things are for the most part "impossible" and due to the notion that when we DO accomplish something and we get it to a point of "perfection" there is no more to work on.

Practice makes better! Nothing is ever perfect, but you can always get better! When you get better, you feel better! When you feel better, you do better! Progress is the key to motivation! Go ahead, and surprise yourself in what you can really do!

Yours in service,
ANDREW TRENTO