We are currently living in a world that urges us to be perfect in everything. From making coffee to signing deals, everything has to be perfect. It is currently the trending myth of the universe. We are encouraged to give our best and the most important part – never make mistakes. But the truth is much simpler than this.

You do not need to be 100 per cent perfect in every situation.

What is considered perfect depends on many factors. Something that is excellent in one situation may be completely unnecessary in another. A person who is highly successful in one arena may not be equally skilled in every other field and that is perfectly normal.

Understanding this can help us become more confident, practical, and peaceful.

Imagine that someone is cooking dinner for her or his family. They may not prepare a restaurant-quality meal. But if the food is healthy, enjoyable, and prepared with care, it may be more than good enough.

Now imagine the same person is working as a chef. The expectations are different. In that situation, accuracy, presentation, timing, hygiene, and consistency are valued more. The person has not changed, but the situation has. Every situation has its own requirements.

Sometimes, doing something at 60 or 70 per cent is enough because the situation does not require more than that. At other times, we may need to give 90 or 100 per cent overall because that’s what the situation demanded. Even giving 100 per cent effort seems less with respect to the value of the task.

The wisdom lies in knowing when excellence is necessary and when ‘good enough’ is actually good enough. What seems perfect today may not be perfect tomorrow.

A decision that seemed ideal five years ago may not be suitable today. Similarly, something we consider incomplete now may be exactly what we needed at an earlier stage of life.

Think about a student learning a new subject. A beginner cannot be expected to perform like an expert. Their first attempt will have mistakes, but those mistakes are part of the learning process. If we demand perfection from ourselves at the beginning, we may never begin at all.

A young person’s decisions will naturally differ from those of someone with decades of experience. Perfection must be measured according to the stage of development.

On the other side of the bread, the environment creates expectations. Therefore, instead of asking, “Am I perfect?” it is often more useful to ask: “Am I appropriate and effective for this situation?” The question then is much more practical.

We cannot expect one person to be perfect in every field. Even within the same profession, people have different strengths.

That shortcoming in particular areas does not make this person a failure. Instead of trying to become perfect at everything, we should identify the areas that matter most and develop them according to the targeted goals.