Perfectionism is the drive to be “perfect,” regardless of the standards set. Even if perfectionism sets a painfully-unattainable goal, greater success can be brought out of “failed” perfectionism. Striving for perfectionism means limiting errors, noticing flaws, and creating the best result possible – even if labeled as a failure relative to expectation. 

The obsession of a craft, where flaws are near-worked out to be abolished, is especially applicable to the world of sports. An athlete might obsess over achieving a prestigious division-one offer in high school by pouring hours into being better. Even if they do not reach their defined goal, they reap the benefits of working hours at the gym and spending time studying their sport. They progress mentally and develop relationships that help them in non-sport activities. Success was obtained by falling in the pursuit of perfectionism, which is a common story of American high school athletes. While people cite the athletic perfectionist mindset of the greats like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant and the accolades they achieve, that mindset also produces benefits to those who “fall short” of being “perfect.” 

That same mindset is not only prevalent in sports, but in building ideas where the pursuit of perfectionism produces the best product possible. More specifically with entrepreneurship, where the goal is to stand out amongst hundreds of competitors. Trying to be perfect means ensuring a product or service is of utmost quality and accounting for every possible scenario. Nobody exemplifies this better than the roots of Apple. The founder, Steve Jobs, was keen enough to know that creating the highest quality of product was not enough to stand out. He obsessed over creating a perfect brand image that appealed to consumers and micromanaged the tiniest details over presentation. His obsession over not only the “big picture,” but every small detail that comprised the big picture launched Apple into a multi-billion dollar company. Apple is not a perfect company, as evident from its competition. There is no major company that is perfect, nor is there any small company. Perfection is unattainable, but its pursuit yields varying levels of success. 

People who do not desire perfection will struggle to achieve their potential. Success is relative, but reaching potential is objective. The pursuit of perfectionism yields the best result possible regardless if it means “failing” relative to expectation.