How Your Imperfections Bring Success

Yes, imperfections guarantee your success.

Stick with me, because I see this career limiting problem over and over. I saw it last week after an email I sent out had a typo. Ok, more than a typo, since spell check would not have caught this. As a matter of fact, it may have caught the misspelling and helped me put in the wrong word. You know the pesky there/ their verbal confusion? I have no confusion about the use of which word. I was a star in English and Spelling growing up and I used to be the first to jump on wrong use of words like that. (I am tempted to put all sorts of wrong words in this article to prove my point…but sarcasm doesn’t ever serve the highest good.)

Fifteen years ago I was at a 4 day conference on how to be a world-class speaker and influencer. Yup, me and 300 or so other folks who paid thousands of dollars, I think it was $3999. In today’s money that’s like….a lot more! I faced the “what were you thinking?” and “you’re already a great speaker.”

I knew I had much to learn. Half way into the conference, as my notebook was filling with must-do’s and tips and techniques and OMG! The speaker walks over to his big board easel and writes a few critical items we must always do as we wrap up a talk. He misspelled a few words on his easel. OMG– someone has to tell him. I’m not going to interrupt him…but someone will. Hands were raised in rapid fashion as he begged the audience to hold all questions until he was finished with his segment.

My mind was so full of focusing on his misspelled words that I really didn’t focus on his points. As a matter of fact, I was chatting with a woman I made friends with there and she and I were aghast that he didn’t notice.
Eventually, 20 minutes into it, he relented and allowed for a question.
“Who has a question?” He inquired to the eager audience.

Hands shot up as if he left so much unsaid.

“You misspelled 2 words on your board!!” multiple voices shouted from the audience.

“How many of you noticed?” he asked as if taking a poll of all the smart people in attendance.

Arms shot up as if we were to receive a special gift for catching his mistake.

He laughed and all of a sudden he looks at us with eyes of a critical parent, “While you were busy counting the minutes until you could tell me what I did wrong, you missed my entire point.”

You see, he was right.

Focusing on what is wrong, misspelled and not working can be the energy drain, the investment in exactly the opposite of what will get us ahead in life and our career.

Sure, there are times when we need to be spot on perfect. I get it.

Sure, in school we need to get the answers right.

Sure, that critical parent can be a bit overbearing.

But…then it runs too far, too much, and take over critical energy that needs to be used for more important things.

Yes, 3 days ago I wrote “their” where” there” was the correct word.

Yes, when I saw it 10 seconds after it went out I had a a few seconds of dread and self- criticism.

For now I know the bigger picture.

I am imperfect. We are all imperfect.

Of course I care about my emails being correct and credible.

I will make other mistakes. Emails will have wrong stuff, margins may be off, heck, sentences may have deep grammatical problems. My point and my message will be preserved in the general intention, the conclusions and stories I tell.

I will look into each opportunity to see if I can be a bit more careful should I hire a proofreader? Maybe I should slow down…my mother always told me I should.

“You do too much.”

Here are the real reasons why your imperfection is perfect and how to handle it and leverage it to be better than your missteps.

Why embracing your imperfection is a key to success:

  1. When you are easier on yourself you are easier on others. Guess what, being the hard driving, perfection seeking person is rather old school. It’s only going to get you from proof-reader to editor. After that, your ideas, compassion and influence will take you further.
  2. Letting go of your inner critic frees up so much energy you won’t believe it! When we stop stuffing ourselves with judging energy we free our energy. We all could use a bit of freed-up energy. Release that critic inside and let go.
  3. Focusing on what you don’t want just gets you more of what you don’t want. The Laws of the Universe always work that way. Focusing on something gives you more of it. Use the opportunity to reduce the distraction of what you don’t want. Discipline may be necessary here as we are all wired to focus on threats and be vigilant on what could harm us. In today’s world, this is not a threat to be given so much energy and focus.
  4. Use your imperfections to connect with others. When we wanted something to go one way and it went another way, it is a really great reason to pick up the phone, send an email or walk down the hall and connect. Several of the 12,000 folks who received an email from me Friday, sent a cautious word and a few discredited my work. Ah, the fun of being all out there, naked in front of the world.
  5. Each time you embrace your imperfections you will receive a dose of personal strength and conviction for how awesome you are. I mean it! Each time you get out there and embrace your human beingness, you will be filled with an opportunity to see your true value and hug your inner child and your inner adult.

You are perfect right now!

Yes you are.

This is your success coach reminding you that your bumps and flecks and slight missteps are exactly perfect on you.

What you focus on expands, so focus on your talents.

For those who can’t get past the linear, perfection of the ego….maybe you need to lighten up about your life and yourself.

For all the physicians, engineers, airline pilots, I know there have been shaky hands, miscalculations and misses. We love you because of it all.

Really, we do!

Kick Ass Career Coaching means loving them all through it!

Blessings on your week.

When you are ready to see your imperfections and ready to break through, sign up for your Career Clarity Call– you’ll be happy you did!

It’s time.