“Perfect” is in many situations an unrealistic goal.

Do you know what a “perfect” batting average is? It is 1,000 percent. To achieve such an average, a player must get a hit every time he is at bat, but in real life even a .300 average is considered good. A consistent .333 average, hitting one out of three, and missing two out of the three, would earn the batter champion status. Even that rare .400 hitter is out three of every five times he comes to bat!

In golf a “perfect” score is 18 -- a hole-in-one for each hole -- yet many excellent players have never had even one hole-in-one throughout their entire careers. A score of 80 is considered good, and a 70 marks one as being of championship caliber.

What can the unrealistic expectation of perfection do to the baseball player or golfer? It can so frustrate him that he loses concentration, enjoyment, and even the will to play!

Very similar is our expectation of perfection in many areas of our lives. We can strive for perfection just as the batter strives for a hit each time at bat, but we must not allow the illusion of perfection to spoil our “good work.”

The upshot: Always try to improve in everything you do, but don’t let the perfect spoil the good.