The Afternoon Sun

There is just something about that afternoon sun.
 
I am drawn to the sun like the Energizer bunny is drawn to that battery of his.  I am absolutely happier when the sun is out, and I am more productive when the days (as measured by dawn to dusk) are longer.  It is easier for me to get up and get going when the sun has already risen, and I tend to think more optimistically when the sun is shining brightly.
 
All of this begs the question of why in the world I live in Chicago, but that is a topic for another day. For now, let’s just say that living in an area that experiences way more than its share of clouds and cold makes me appreciate the sun even more when I can get it, especially when I go on vacation to find it.
 
As much as I love the sun, the afternoon sun, which I define as the sun between 4:00 and 6:00 is my favorite.  Having just returned from a sunny vacation, during which I had plenty of time to think about the afternoon sun and to contemplate its wonderous effect on me, I thought I would share a few of my observations in the hopes they might resonate with you and inspire you to seek out your own sunny time.
 
While there are many qualities of afternoon sun and many ways that I have found to enjoy that time, I can summarize those qualities and source of enjoyment in three words; 
Warmth, Reflection, and Opportunity.
 
My guess is that if I posed the question of whether you prefer the heat or the cold, the answers would be pretty evenly split, but the concept of warmth unites us all.  Warmth is that center of the thermometer that everybody can agree on.  Whether you gravitate toward the heat of a summer day or you like the cold crisp air of winter, you seek warmth as your comfort zone.  I have never met anybody who prefers to be subject to blazing heat or freezing cold twenty-four hours a day!  
 
I have been fortunate to experience afternoon sun in many places and climates and when it comes time for that sun to tilt toward its final descent on the horizon for the day, the warmth it generates is my definition of perfection.  On what has been a hot day, the less pleasant elements such as humidity and the fiery mid-day burn subside and are replaced by a temperate glow.  On a cold day when it takes a little longer for the sun to reach its full potential, the afternoon sum often creates the warmest time of the day and eases the harshness of a greyer, less inviting sky.

I have also found that the afternoon sun creates the best time to reflect on the day.  I think this is so because enough of the day has transpired for me to have a good idea of what has been or will be accomplished, but there is still enough time to influence that direction one way or the other before the day ends completely.  In fact, although I am inside right now, I am enjoying a view of some afternoon sun as I write this article and reflect on these observations and where they are headed.
 
A feeling of warmth and a moment of reflection always lead me to contemplate my next opportunity.  I always say that you can’t possibly know where you are going without first understanding where you are and where you have been.  The afternoon sun amplifies my appreciation for the day and what I have experienced and, at the same time, whets my appetite for the opportunity presented by the remainder of the day.  Sometimes, the opportunity is a nice dinner or a card game with my family.  On other occasions, it might be an event that I have looked forward to for a long time.  The opportunity may be as simple as a chance to write a few thoughts down. However small or insignificant the opportunity may be, there is still an opportunity to consider during that afternoon sun.
 
I find warmth, reflection, and opportunity in my afternoon sun and I have defined that as my favorite time in a lifelong appreciation and pursuit of the sun.  My ability to understand and savor these moments brings me joy and a feeling that I have gotten the most out of a day.  Whether or not the afternoon sun means the same thing to you is irrelevant as long as you seek and appreciate your equivalent on a regular basis.
 
Does the warmth that I describe in my afternoon sun define a feeling of comfort and respite for you?  Your warmth may just be your peace of mind or the perfect balance of your emotions.
 
Do you make it a point to reflect each day?  Do you take time to soak up and celebrate something that has gone well?  Do you give thought to things that didn’t go according to plan and figure out how you will do things differently the next time?
 
Do you see opportunity around the corner?  Do you spend a few minutes figuring out where you are at in the day and then set a course for capitalizing on that moment before that day ends?
 
Any day in which you experience warmth, reflection, and opportunity is a great day!  If you have found that time or place to regularly enjoy these things, hold on to it and appreciate it fully.  If you have not, seek it out and don’t stop until you’ve identified it.
 
One last thing about the significance of that afternoon sun and I think about it every time I have the pleasure of enjoying that time with a clear and unobstructed view of the sky. Eventually, that same sun is going to set on the horizon in front of me and rise on the horizon behind me again tomorrow.  My job is to get the most out of the day in between!
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​This article is part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.

The Value of Evaluation

Over the years, I have spent a lot of time identifying skills and character traits that I believe are direct contributors to career success.  In some cases, those skills are unique to the work that we do at the credit union.  In many more cases, however, I find that certain skills and character traits will help you to be successful no matter the life’s work you have chosen or where you are at on that path, whether it be just starting out or heading toward retirement.
 
I almost always apply those thoughts to myself first.  I think about skills that I have developed along my path and that have helped along the way.  More often, I think of the skills I still need to develop and my personal areas of improvement.
 
Of the skills that I have worked on and developed during my career, my ability to evaluate is at or near the top of the list of skills that have helped me create value for myself and my teammates.
 
When I can effectively evaluate the needs of our members and then provide them with solutions, our members are better for it and our organization gains business.  When I can accurately evaluate our personnel, our employees are continually placed in the best possible position to succeed.  When I can efficiently evaluate developments and trends in our business and our industry, we will gain an advantage over our competition because we will likely act sooner and achieve our goals more quickly then they will.
 
The value of evaluation is not by any means limited to our work.  Doctors who evaluate accurately and expeditiously save lives as a result.  Accountants who do so save their clients money.  If you think about it, you probably turn to the person that you normally seek advice from because they can develop a clear understanding of you and your situation and then help you achieve your desired result.  They are evaluating every step of the way as part of that process.
 
So, now that we’ve established the power and importance of evaluation, you might ask how you develop that skill if you have not done so already.  I have some good news for you.  It starts with you!
 
(If this is not good news, then you clearly haven’t read enough of my articles and posts, for if you had, you would know that this is exactly where you want the responsibility to be.  When the task is in your hands, you hold all the power.  And, when you focus on what you can control, you will accomplish a lot more than you ever thought you could!)
 
So, the fact that developing strong evaluation skills begins with you is good news, but the next step can be tricky because it requires that you look straight into the mirror, literally and figuratively, and honestly assess yourself. What are your strengths and the things that you are most proud of when it comes to your skills and accomplishments? What are your weaknesses or downfalls and the things that you are most disappointed about when it comes to your career?  How much ownership have you taken in your career?
 
If you can take this step and really do the hard work that is necessary to see yourself for who you really are, strong suits and faults, positives and negatives, then you will take a giant leap toward becoming an excellent evaluator.  The next step, however, is even more difficult.
 
The next step is to present your evaluation of yourself to someone you trust and encourage them to be candid as to whether they agree or disagree with your evaluation.  As difficult as it is to be honest with yourself, it is even more difficult to be candid about yourself out loud and in front of someone else.  There is just something about the innate protector in you, and in all of us, that throws up a barrier when you are about to feel exposed or be vulnerable.  Push through that barrier and then practice pushing through it by doing it again with someone else, who’s opinion you value.
 
However uncomfortable it may be to evaluate yourself in front of someone, make yourself do it and you will eventually be okay with it.  I am not telling you it will ever be easy, but I am telling you that if you can evaluate yourself accurately and without fear of discussing the bad with the good, you will unlock the key to being a great evaluator of just about everything else around you.  Why?  Because there is no more difficult evaluation then a self-evaluation.  
 
When you understand who you are and what the positives and negatives are that comprise you, there isn’t anything you can’t evaluate accurately and there isn’t anything to be afraid of when someone else is evaluating you.  No one can possibly know you better than you know yourself when you have learned how to self-evaluate.  No one will be a better advocate for you than you and no one will be a harsher critic of you than you.  In that sense, you have effectively set a standard for yourself higher than anyone is going to set it for you, which is the ultimate in power and control.
 
If you are truly committed to self-improvement and comfortable with the fact that you can always learn more and achieve more, no hurdle will be too difficult to clear, and you will consistently be open minded enough to see each situation and person you encounter objectively and clearly.
 
When you are on solid ground with yourself and you have learned to be a strong evaluator as part of that process, you can turn your sights to further career aspirations and achieving new goals.  Every business and every profession needs people who can evaluate fairly and consistently.
 
Strong evaluators are also excellent strategists.  They are also sound critical thinkers.  A strong evaluator can serve as a leader who is showing the way by describing and explaining what is needed to complete a job or achieve a goal.  A strong evaluator can also be a sounding board or provide support to someone who thinks they have a solution to problem, but may need positive reinforcement or an alternative view.
 
That is the value of evaluation.
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​This article is part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.
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The Man Who Knew Too Little​
It is healthy to remember that there is always more you can learn

​This is both the title of a very funny, under-rated Bill Murray film made in 1997 and a contender for the title of my biography should it ever be written, which is very unlikely.
 
The Man Who Knew Too Little, the movie, is a spoof of The Man Who Knew Too Much, a Jimmy Stewart movie made in 1956.  In the original version, Jimmy Stewart plays a physician who decides to take matters into his own hands when assassins planning to execute a foreign diplomat kidnap his son.  In the spoof, Bill Murray is mistaken for a world class spy when he unwittingly stumbles upon a plot to assassinate world leaders.
 
I don’t want to spoil the respective endings for you if you have not seen these movies, but I will say that the outcomes are similar despite the vastly different and circuitous routes that were taken to achieve them.  This leads me back to the book.
 
The Man Who Knew Too Little, the biography that will never be written, is a direct reference to my wonderment at the immensity of life.  Despite spending a considerable amount of my time studying everything worth studying, from people to books to subjects to theories and virtually everything in between, I am amazed at how little I have actually learned compared to what I could potentially learn.  For me, this realization is both a blessing and a curse.
 
It is a blessing because it motivates me to keep learning and to be open minded as to what else is out there that I have yet to comprehend, let alone consider.  It is a curse because I often find myself feeling awkward in a new situation despite having spent so much time preparing contingency plans and thinking about how I might handle the unexpected should it arise.
 
Given the choice, however, I would rather be a man who knows too little than a man who knows too much…with a few key disclaimers.
 
I certainly don’t want to be the man who knew too little during a crisis or a time when others are relying on me to come through for them.
 
I absolutely don’t want to be the man who knew too little about his loved ones, friends, and colleagues.
 
I would never want to be the man who knew so little that he wasn’t able to recognize new opportunities or continue to evolve as a person.
 
That said, I think it is healthy to remember that there is always more you can learn.  For me, that knowledge helps to make me a better listener.  I have always been interested in people and in learning about their individual stories.  If I think that I can learn something from that person, I am even more interested in hearing what they have to say.
 
I have also found that I am less likely to jump to conclusions and much more likely to seek input and new ideas when I approach problem solving from the angle of gathering information and seeking knowledge.  When getting educated is my priority, I am a better decision maker because I tend to be more complete in my analysis and more thorough in my investigation of data that is pertinent to the decision I am contemplating.
 
As far being a man who knows too much is concerned, I only have one question.  Have you ever met one that you wanted to spend any time with whatsoever?
 
I continually determine that the more I know, the more I need to know, but my pursuit of knowledge often leaves me with a feeling that I am swimming against the tide.  Today, more than ever, people tend to find their version of knowledge in the places that are simplest to find.  A text or a tweet or a post becomes the new gospel regardless of the source or the validity and credibility of the statement contained within the text, tweet, or post.
 
Discussions, and therefore debates, are becoming less frequent and giving way to a much more casual form of interaction.  Just like raising your voice does not help a person who doesn’t speak your language to understand you any better, exchanging posts with people via social media does not and should not replicate the nature of person-to-person conversations.
 
Healthy debates take place when the participants understand enough about their own thoughts and ideas that they can articulate them with supporting evidence and reasoned logic.  Those same participants also care enough about each other that they take time to research each position to either better argue against it or find some common ground.
 
Sounds like a lot of work doesn’t it?  It is.  It’s no wonder, then, that so many people prefer to limit the extent of their engagement to an on-line post or a snap chat photo.  It is far easier, and it requires far less thought.  Eventually, meaningful explanations, valuable insight, and the overall quality of experience that we will gain from interacting with each other will either become extinct or suffer greatly.  The healthy debate will become a lost art.
 
If that occurs, we will all know too little, but we will each have taken a different route to reach the same outcome.  Some of us will know exactly how we got there and have done all that we could to minimize what we didn’t know.  Others will be mistaken for being experts, but unwittingly stumble toward the same result.
 
Either way, we all know too little.  The question is what are you going to do about it?
 
This article is part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.

Saving money is a matter of habit, not finances.
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​Decision Points are part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.

​Arguably, the greatest freedom of all is the freedom of choice, the power to make your own decisions and command your own destiny.
 
Amongst all of the decisions that you can make in your life, your financial decisions typically have some of the largest impacts, positive or negative, on the quality of your life and the options that you will have available to you.
 
When challenges arise and economic uncertainty looms, virtually all of the volatility that is created in the financial marketplace is driven by two factors, fear and rampant speculation.
 
If you are somebody who is fearful and full of anxiety about your finances, do you also feel helpless and lost about what to do?  Can you imagine how great it would feel to be free of your fear and to experience peace of mind relative to your finances?
 
It is more important now than at any time in the last 75 years to make good financial decisions that will help you to achieve your own economic freedom and minimize any restrictions that will keep you from realizing your financial goals.
 
Make no mistake about it.  You can enjoy economic freedom no matter how much money you make and regardless of what your financial situation has been in the past.  You and your own actions will be the sole determinants of whether or not you achieve financial strength and soundness.   Conversely, if you do not set financial goals for yourself and get on the path that leads to the achievement of those goals, it will be your fault and your fault alone.
 
The peace of mind that comes with not having to worry about your finances during difficult times can be yours and the tools that will help you obtain it already exist.
 
When I was researching information for this article and trying to determine how best to summarize the steps you need to take to achieve personal economic freedom, I realized that we had already discussed the ten most important things that you can do to realize your life’s goals and to best prepare for uncertain and challenging economic times.  Because of this, much of what I will highlight in this article will be a summary or a reference to information in previous articles. 
 
If you have been following along* and have taken the steps that we have previously outlined, this will be a great time to check your work and fine-tune your plan if necessary.  If you have not taken the steps that you should have to prepare for what you may currently be facing or will possibly face sometime in the future, it is not too late to take the sting out of your current situation and better prepare for the next time.
 
1.   Create a Plan

Begin by honestly assessing your financial situation and determine what you have been doing and what you have not been doing.  Figure out what you know and what you don’t know and then devise a plan that builds on your strengths and addresses your weaknesses.  As an example, if you have not been as organized as you should have been and as a result have not balanced your checkbook regularly, make sure that part of your plan includes a regular review and balancing of your checkbook.  Then,  commit to that plan.  A successful financial plan must contain realistic, attainable action steps as well as measurements and checkpoints to ensure you stay on track.
 
2.   Develop and Follow a Budget

Clearly define your income and your expenses.  For the purposes of your budget, your income is not your gross salary, it is your actual take home pay.  For this exercise to be of value, being specific and precise is a must especially as it relates to your
expenses.  The more detailed that you can be about your exact expenses, the more confident  you will be about your numbers and what you will have left to save.  Once you have developed a budget, follow it.  It will take discipline on your part, but the
reward is great, namely that you will be taking a big step toward commanding your own financial destiny.
 
3.   Become Credit Wise

The single biggest factor in determining your ability to borrow money and qualify for the best borrowing rates is your credit rating, specifically your credit score as reported by the three main credit bureaus.  The credit rating system is notoriously difficult to understand and susceptible to errors and inaccuracies so you will be way ahead of the game if you take the time to understand your credit report, the components of your credit score, and what you can do to ensure that your rating is as accurate and as strong as possible.
 
4.   Perform Credit CPR

To the extent that you identify inaccuracies or legitimate weaknesses in your financial standing, perform the necessary tasks to take corrective action.  In this case, CPR can be defined as strong Communication with relevant parties, sound Planning, and a
commitment to Resolve any and all matters.
     
5.   Set Your Financial Priorities

Now that you have taken the steps that form the foundation of your future financial strength and your in-depth financial knowledge, it is time to determine exactly what your priorities should be.  If you have more debt than you are comfortable with, then the first order of business should be to pay off that debt or bring it down to a more reasonable level.  If your debt and expenses are in order, your priority should be to maximize your savings.
    
6.   Establish Goals and Incentives

Once your plan is in place and your priorities are in order, the next step is to establish your goals and the rewards you will reap when those goals are achieved.  As is the case with each of these steps, the goals that you set will be personal to you and will only be helpful if they are meaningful to you and attainable.  Setting the incentives is just as important because they will play a key role in your level of motivation to achieve your goals.
 
7.   Create Reinforcing Habits

Particularly when it comes to saving, but certainly in every aspect of your own financial management, you will benefit from making habits out of the actions you are taking and repeating.  Your plan is in place and it is based on accurate information.  You have set your priorities and established your goals.  The best way to reinforce this behavior is to make it second nature.
 
8.   Build Wealth

When you have realized the importance of saving, the next logical step is to go out and actually build wealth and there remains only two legitimate ways to do it.  You must either obtain ownership of something (i.e., real estate, stock, business, etc.) and/or build passive income; that is income that you generate that is not directly reliant on your labor or task completion (i.e., interest, dividends, appreciation).
 
9.   Insulate Yourself From Recessions

There are several things that you can do to lessen the impact a downturn in the economy can have on your finances in terms of preemptive measures and preparation.  If you have not completed the previous steps then these measures will be a lot less effective.  Once you have prepared for these times, you have essentially completed your path to economic freedom and you will find a peace of mind relative to your personal financial situation that will be both inspiring and liberating.
 
10. Trust Your Instincts and Stay Curious

At this point, you have completed all of the steps and have clearly learned how to make good, sound financial decisions.  You are following your own path and realizing power and command that previously seemed unreachable.  You have all of your financial matters in order.  Enjoy the benefits of your commitment to this process by sticking with the decisions and choices that you have made, but do not rest on what you have already accomplished.  Stay curious, keep asking questions and answering your own challenges, and remain open-minded so that you are able to make adjustments to your plans and objectives as necessary.
 
So, follow these steps and keep the faith.  Your Economic Freedom is at hand.

This article is part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.

A New Use for an Old Cliché: You Can't Have Your Cake and Eat it Too

​This is another cliché that is routinely misunderstood.  The use of the word “have” implies that you are going to consume it so, of course, you can’t eat the same thing twice.
 
The literal meaning of have in this instance is to keep or save.  You can’t save your cake and eat that same cake.
 
If the underlying message here is that you can’t have it both ways, my answer is that it depends on what itis. If the cake is your paycheck, for instance, then you can certainly save some of it and consume the rest.  If the cake is your leisure time, you are not going to be able to preserve it without making a few sacrifices if you want to get or stay fit.
 
Can you live an enjoyable life in the present and save for retirement? Absolutely.  Can you sit on the couch and exercise at the same time? Probably not.  The value of the message is reliant on the intent of the recipient.
 
If you spend all your money every time you get paid then, of course, you will have nothing left when it is time for you to retire.  If, however, your version of having your cake and eating it too is finding the balance between enjoying your everyday life comfortably and being ready for the future as well, then that is a perfectly achievable goal. 
 
If you believe that you can get fit by laying around, you are eventually going to have to make a change in your thought process.  You either must be content being idle and sacrifice your fitness or you will have to get off the couch and start exercising to stay or get into shape.
 
Your options and the decisions you make regarding them are an integral part of your life.  The choices you make say a lot about who you are and what you value, and it is always in your best interest to create and preserve as many options for you to choose among as possible.  
 
Conversely, a limited number of options limits your decision-making power, so it is important not to let yourself fall into the either/or trap hinted at by this cliché.  If you find that you are facing what feels like an ultimatum, that is a great time to pause and really think through the choice in front of you.
 
You will be in situations that involve an all or nothing, this or that option, but most of the time you will avoid unnecessary limitations in your decision making simply by taking a little bit of time to consider other options and alternatives that will lead to a better solution for you and possibly everyone impacted by your decision.  Maybe you can think about that while you have a piece of cake!

By Scott Arney, Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Patrolmen’s Federal Credit Union.
This article is part of Arney's new series, entitled A New Use for an Old Cliché.
This installment is part of Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.

You The Conqueror
(This is the last chapter of Scott Arney's Super Hero Series, which starts with Fear is Our Enemy)
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​Many years ago, my wife and I lived in England. One of our favorite places to visit, while we lived there, was the Tower of London. It is full of 1,000 years of history and every time we went, I learned something new.

One of focal points, at the Tower, is the story of William the Conqueror, a key figure in the rich history of England. His is a story of victory, courage, and success as an early leader of the country, which is all great, but I have always been more fascinated with his name.

Was he known as William the Conqueror while he was alive or is that a moniker subsequently invented by biographers and historians? I don’t know, but can you imagine the advantage you would have in your career today if you were known as You the Conqueror?

I would be willing to bet that every one of your calls would be returned promptly. Everyone would undoubtedly pay attention at every one of your meetings. You’d probably be able to get a reservation at any of the best restaurants. Your resume would be at the top of every potential employer’s pile were you to ever be looking for a job.

You get the picture.

While I was writing this super hero series, I realized that if you incorporated all of the processes and suggestions that each of our five super heroes have outlined, you would become You the Conqueror in your own personal way.

I wouldn’t necessarily suggest that you begin to openly refer to yourself as such, but you would surely gain the inner strength that you would need to feel like a conqueror. After all, what else could possibly stand in your way?

The only other obstacle that I can think of that we have yet to discuss is the fear of success. Were you to achieve success, particularly of the consistent and prolonged type, you most certainly would also incur increased responsibilities and additional expectations. A brighter spot light will almost always increase the amount of scrutiny you face. The more success you have and the more attention you receive for that success, the more people will be inclined to criticize you. The more relevant you become, the more opinions people will develop and those opinions will vary greatly.

Everything that you achieve extracts a price from you. You could be forgiven if you were hesitant to run toward success if these consequences would be the price that you would pay for it.

At this point, however, there is no logical reason for you to feel overwhelmed or that you are not up to any of the challenges that your success might bring your way. Besides, you aren’t just you anymore, you are You the Conqueror!

What you can and should do is figure out the exact price that you are willing to pay for success and then set your aspirations accordingly.

As an example, you may decide that you are unwilling to travel extensively for your career even if it might mean that you will make more money. You may determine that you would like to spend more time with your family in exchange for a lighter travel schedule and less money.

You may decide that you are best suited to work at a smaller company because you value the relationships with your co-workers and you believe that it would be more difficult to achieve those quality relationships at a larger organization.

Perhaps you place loyalty at the top of your list of redeeming qualities and you decide that you will continue to reciprocate the loyalty you have been shown by staying with your current company rather than looking for potentially greener grass elsewhere.

The great thing about your goals and how you define success, is that they are uniquely yours to create and subscribe to. The balance and harmony that you seek in your life are yours to develop and you are the only one who gets to determine when you get there and what you will do once you are there.

You have the tools to make your decisions in a guilt free environment, without self-imposed limitations. You are free to pursue your own personal perfection while embracing all of your imperfections. You have strengthened your resolve so you can proceed forward without worrying about being knocked off your path. If someone or something tries to get in your way, you know exactly what your options are.

You have so much momentum and so many things going for you, success should be the last thing that you worry about. The only thing left for you to do is to go out and achieve your potential.

You are You the Conqueror!

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This is the last chapter of Scott Arney's Super Hero Series. 

Be sure to check Scott's Spot on Patrolmen's Dispatch for each chapter of his Super Hero Series, which starts with Fear is Our Enemy; and his ongoing Serial Decision Maker series.

Perfectionists Kill Progress

I have a huge admiration for self-disciplined, switched on people who put forth a strong effort every day.  I very much appreciate people who hold themselves and the work they produce to a high standard, especially when that standard exceeds any reasonable expectations that others could place on that person.
 
I applaud all students who study with a goal of getting an A+ on everything they do.  I am impressed by competitors who compete to win every race every time.
 
Committing yourself to a pursuit of excellence will serve you well no matter the cause.
 
A pursuit of perfection may be a different story and, if you consider yourself a perfectionist, I am going to ask you to reconsider whether or not you want to own that title.  First, however, I would like to illustrate what I believe is the difference between a person in pursuit of excellence and a person who is pursuing perfection.
 
I believe that a pursuit of excellence equals achievement, progress, and leadership.  Conversely, a pursuit of perfection equals delays, hindrance, and stagnation.
 
There are a few reasons for these contrasts, but let’s start with the concept of each.  Excellence and the perception of it is an inclusive, broadly defined term that most people can easily identify with.  Perfection, however, is a highly subjective, exclusive term that to most people represents an unattainable standard.  In fact, the old adage of “I’m only human” is simply another way of saying that no one is perfect.
 
Some of the basic fundamentals of goal setting mandate that worthwhile goals must be measurable, attainable, and realistic.  While you may have a slightly different idea of excellence than I do, it will be infinitely easier for us to find common ground in that definition and how we will achieve it than it will be for us to agree on what perfection means and how, if ever, we will achieve it.
 
It has been my experience that perfectionists use the fact that perfection is out of reach more as an excuse than as a way of defining progress.  Perfectionists tend to miss deadlines because the product of their work isn’t “perfect” at the time the result is needed.  Perfectionists tend to tinker with and often amend the nature of a project or its scope because they cannot achieve a perfect outcome.  Additionally, perfectionists tend to be poor delegators because they believe that no one will do the work as well as they do nor will anyone else be as focused on perfection as they are. 
 
The by-product of a perfectionist, especially when there are multiple perfectionists in an organizational setting, is that progress is slow at best because the focus is on an unrealistic standard for achievement instead of the effort needed to achieve.
 
Delays and an unwillingness to delegate ultimately will bring progress to a screeching halt.  Not only are things not getting done, no one is learning anything because the perfectionists are too sidetracked chasing a mythical objective.
 
No matter what your standard is or how you define progress, there are things that you can control and things that you cannot control.  Any coach or manager that is tasked with running any team or business predicated on multiple people subscribing to the same vision and core objectives will tell you that they are much more concerned with the effort than the result.  Why?  Because the players on the team and the employees of the business control the effort while the result is at least partly reliant on others, whether they are a rival team or a clientele.
 
The pursuit of excellence focuses on the effort and the journey you take to achieve your goals.  The pursuit of perfection focuses on the end result and intrinsically creates obstacles that block your path to get there.
 
The pro-perfectionists out there will also tell you things like mistakes are unacceptable and that they will not accept anything less than 100% satisfaction from the people they serve.  I respectfully disagree with this as well.  Whether you accept mistakes or not, they are going to happen.  I suggest that you categorize those mistakes in order to better understand them.
 
For example, if the mistake in question is a simple error in execution, while not desired, it should be easier to understand than, say, a mistake involving a lapse in judgment.
 
If a teller mistakenly gives you $20 less than you asked for because some new bills stuck together in her drawer, it is a mistake that must be corrected, but it is also easy to understand how it happened.
 
If, on the other hand, that same teller takes your withdrawal amount from your checking account instead of your savings account as requested and hopes that you won’t notice because there are 10 other people waiting in line and looking impatient, the mistake is unnecessary because it could have been completely avoided had the teller exercised common judgment and basic decision making skills.
 
As far as the client satisfaction is concerned, well that is about as subjective as the concept of perfection.  If you ask ten people what satisfactory customer service means to them, you are likely to get ten different answers.  Satisfaction, just like perfection, is a moving target and representative of a result that is likely never to be achieved despite the best intentions and highest quality effort.
 
As a business leader and a sports coach, I can speak from a first-hand perspective on both fronts.  Given the choice between an employee or a player who labels themselves a perfectionist and an employee or player who will maximize their effort every day in an attempt to continue to progress and improve, I will take the person who is committed to the pursuit of excellence every single time.
 
Besides, nobody is perfect.
 
This article is part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.

​The Power of Observation
        
I realized at an early age that when it came to competition, I was never going to be the fastest, or the strongest, or the smartest.
 
Fortunately, I also realized, around the same time, that there were certain things that I could work on and ultimately be as good at as any other competitor out there, particularly when it came to living life.
 
It is always important to be aware of your shortcomings, but when they are only shortcomings because you are comparing your abilities with others, it is equally important to not allow your awareness of those shortcomings to stunt your growth.  In other words, not being the fastest or the strongest is very different than not being as fast or as strong as you can be.
 
If you focus on what you can do versus what you cannot, you will always create an advantage for yourself.  You cannot now nor will you ever be able to control someone else’s workout routine, diet, or work ethic. You can only control your own.  So, if you focus your efforts on yourself and you do not spend time worrying about what someone else is doing or not doing, you will automatically have more time and energy to devote to the pursuits that are truly important to you.
 
One of the more powerful tools that you can fully control and develop is your personal power of observation.  Refining and honing your observation skills will directly and immediately improve your ability to focus, organize, plan, and most importantly enjoy your life.
 
When you effectively pay attention to your surroundings and the environment in which you operate, you will be more aware of how and why things are happening.
 
When you are more aware of what is happening around you, you will be in a better position to organize your thoughts toward what you should or should not be doing in relation to those happenings.
 
When you have your thoughts organized, you can put a plan in place that places you in the best possible position to succeed today and going forward.
 
When you are following your own plan, you are much more likely to enjoy your life because you are making your own decisions and creating your own consequences.
 
If you make it a point to actively observe the people who you work with on a daily basis, you will gain perspective as to who they really are, what motivates them, and where you might share some common ground.  When you have a handle on these things, you can figure out how to work together and ways in which their strong suits will compliment and supplement yours.
 
This type of awareness is a very powerful attribute to utilize if you wish to be an effective leader.  When your words and your actions accurately reflect the thoughts and motives of those around you, people will want to work with you and even follow you.  When those around you follow you naturally as opposed to simply being told to follow you, the bond that you share and the teamwork you produce together will be much more significant than anything that is artificially generated.
 
Purposeful observation will not only help you in your career, it will help you to be a better family member, friend, and ultimately a better person.  If you know that someone you care about needs an encouraging word because you were alert to their mood, you can take action that ensures you are the one delivering that needed encouragement.
 
When you demonstrate the meaning that others have to you and in your life, those same people will often reciprocate in the emphasis they place on you and the things that are important to you.  Family ties can be more meaningful and friendships can be more rewarding.
 
The act of effective observation can also directly enhance your own life’s experiences.  The more you are aware of the events in which you participate, the more vivid your memory of that event will be.
 
Do you sometimes wonder why certain conversations or circumstances are easier to remember than others?  Many times, it boils down to whether or not you were paying full attention at the time the conversation or event was taking place.  The more attention you pay at the time an event is occurring, the easier that event will be to remember.
 
If you remember your past more vividly, you will create memories that are more fulfilling and useful to you.  As an example, if you remember specifics about a decision that went wrong, you will be far less likely to make that same mistake in the future.  Conversely, if you specifically remember how great it felt when a particular decision you made helped you to achieve success, you will be far more likely to appreciate that success and go after it with even more determination the next time.
 
Observation is a key component of participation and being an active participant in your career and your life is so much more rewarding and fulfilling than when you are standing on the sideline as a disinterested bystander.
 
Just like so many things in life, it is up to you to make your power of observation a priority.  It will take some work and determination on your part, but the payoff is totally worth it!
 
This article is part of Scott Arney's educational series, entitled The Serial Decision Maker.