CHANGE FOR THE BETTER

"Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections."

Saint Francis de Sales, Late 16th/early 17th century Catholic bishop

You need courage to consider your imperfections, even more to accept them, and a lot more to attempt to change them.

But that is what you should do.

MAKING OUR IMPERFECT WORLD

"The important work of moving the world forward does not wait to be done by perfect men."

George Eliot (1819-1880) British writer.

Were this not true the world would be nowhere near as imperfectly perfect as it is today.

You have a contribution to make; do what you can without concern for how (im)perfect you may be.

ONLY IF IT FITS

"The shoe that fits one person pinches another; there is no recipe for living that suits all cases."

Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961) Swiss psychologist/psychiatrist.

We'd all like to find the "silver bullet" for self improvement, which thankfully doesn't exist.

We are individuals for a reason.

Our way is there to be found.

ALWAYS NEW AND IMPROVED

"Our ideals are our better selves."

Amos Bronson Alcott (1799-1888) American educator.

Probably.

However, keep in mind, "better" is only that; it isn't necessarily as good as you can be.

Strive to improve and when you have, look to become even better.

HOW COULD YOU NOT BE?

"I don't think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday."

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) President of the United States.

How could you not be?

Don't do anything today to improve what you'll be tomorrow.

Nothing grows without effort including you.

2ND IS SOMETIMES BEST

"But it is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation."

Herman Melville (1819-1891) American writer.

Depends on how you define "originality" and particularly "imitation".

In business, being a close follower, eliminating mistakes of those whose first-to-market product was good but not great, is a tried and true strategy for success. 

IMPERFECT PERFECTIONISTS

"Have no fear of perfection-you'll never reach it."

Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) Spanish surrealist painter.

We refer to some as perfectionists and maybe you see yourself as one.

You're not, I'm certainly not, no one is, they don't exist.

A few of us strive for perfection but even in that we fall short.

That's ok; perfecting the continued attempt is more than most will ever accomplish.

WE CAN ALL IMPROVE

"To be happy is to be able to become aware of oneself without fright."

Walter Benjamin (1892-1940) German philosopher

That is the goal.

You might not like what you first find, but you can change.

Go ahead; what you are isn't what you have to be.

THIS ISN'T A BAD THING

"Man is the only creature who refuses to be what he is."

Albert Camus (1913-1960) French novelist/essayist/dramatist

Not all the time but enough that we should stop and think why we are not always striving to become something better.

YES YOU ARE

"Most people are in favor of progress, it's the changes they don't like."

Unknown

Or change is ok as long as someone else is doing it.

People, you are changing! The only question is to what, decided by who?

Shouldn't you be the judge of that?

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN

"I start where the last man left off."

Thomas Alva Edison

Late 19th/early 20th century American inventor

Very little is completely original; your improvement of what already exists is progress.

GOOD ENOUGH ISN'T

"Whatever you are, be a good one."

Abraham Lincoln

16th President of the United States

Not necessarily the best there is but certainly the best you can be.

Your Own Worst Critic?

"I am a deeply superficial person."

Andy Warhol

20th century American artist

There's something to be said for knowing yourself, both the bad as well as the good.

What do you not like about yourself?

What are you doing to change it?

Become The Best!

"We are citizens of the world.  The tragedy of our times is that we don't know this."

Woodrow Wilson

28th president of the United States

And we are still today in all things and none more than business.

As "motherhoodish" as it may sound, the only way to protect ourselves from foreign competition is to continually out perform them.

  

Always Right?

"He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill."

Edmund Burke

18th century British political writer

If your direct reports never do this, if your peers always accept your positions, how will you know you're right?

Reinventing You

"We have it in our power to begin the world over again."

Thomas Paine

18th century English intellectual

And if we can reinvent the world, we should also be able to improve ourselves.

If you are having difficulty finding a job, you may need to begin you all over again.

If so, don't fear the challenge that represents.

Change is constant, these days at an accelerated pace.

Get started.

Learn Now Or Pay Later

 "A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials."

Chinese proverb

While this suggests two things (one's openness to criticism ("friction") and the inevitability of challenges), of even greater worth for me is the unsaid wisdom that ties the two together.

The more likely we are to accept suggestions of ways we can improve, the less likely it is we will later make mistakes resulting in "trials."

Improvement: The Quest to be Best

"It is not by muscle, speed, or physical dexterity that great things are achieved, but by reflection, force of character, and judgment."

Marcus Tullius Cicero
First Century BC Roman Statesman

Well I have to think that being a world class sprinter does require muscle, speed and at least some physical dexterity; however I also believe that the business equivalents (most money, best people, best product) can and often are trumped by smaller, more nimble companies with greater desire, focus and energy.

It comes down to continually looking for ways to improve and never is that more necessary than when you are the leader.