I think most of us have heard the saying, “Practice makes perfect.” Many of us have said it, myself included. It sort of makes sense, but as I will share in this blog, not really.
One of our LGI trainers shared with me something a participant in one of our workshops said (and I so wish I could give her credit for this!) that is a huge improvement on the saying and actually is more accurate. She said that it shouldn’t be “Practice makes perfect,” rather it should be, “Practice makes progress.”
Let’s sort this out. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines “practice” as
“to perform or work at repeatedly so as to become proficient.” It goes on to define “proficiency” as “being able to do something to a higher-than-average standard or skill.” It defines “perfect” as “being entirely without fault or defect: flawless satisfying all requirements.” That’s a lot of pressure! How many of us can say that we are perfect in performing a certain skill or having an ability to do something perfectly?
According to the Harvard Review: “it’s important to note that nobody is perfect, and the pursuit of perfection can lead to negative mental health outcomes. Thus, while some may strive for perfection, the reality is that most people do not meet such standards.”
I want to acknowledge that many of us use the term “perfect” in our everyday conversations in order to communicate that something is very nice, helpful, or useful. For example, if a friend said that she wasn’t going to be able to pick up her child on time from daycare and you said that you would be in that neighborhood and would be happy to do that for her, her reply might be “Oh, that would be perfect!” Here the word “perfect” is an affirmation that something is helpful and just what is needed but it doesn’t have anything to do with something having absolutely no flaws.
Going back to the idea that practice makes progress, let’s consider what progress means. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, progress means: “a forward or onward movement (as to an objective or to a goal); to advance, gradual betterment.” It offers the example of the progressive development of humankind, meaning that humankind is a work in progress that is getting better but that requires ongoing attention to ensure there is forward movement.
I am planning on adopting this new way of describing the ongoing nature of progress when I am practicing (meaning attempting, working on) something. I appreciate how this eliminates the expectation or pressure to achieve perfection.
I hope this alternative phrase is helpful to you.
Invitation for Reflection
- Are you familiar with the phrase “practice makes perfect?” If so, do you think it ever put pressure on you to somehow achieve perfection?
- Does this alternative expression “practice makes progress” relieve you from that pressure? Does it allow you to keep working on something free of the goal that what you are doing has to become perfect?
Diane Wagenhals
Director Emeritus, Lakeside Global Institute