When discussing how to achieve dreams or goals, the content tends to become abstract because the gap between reality and goal creates space for differences and discretion such as ability, character, pace, style, rules and conditions required, etc.
Even so, I try to logically structure my approach as much as possible to aim for success. However, I am very careful not to aim for perfection because otherwise, I cannot even start. The reason why I say I am careful is that I still catch myself getting triggered for perfection sometimes. And I will have to do a pattern interrupt to change my awareness and navigate my action accordingly to bring me back on track.
I think I have this pattern of behavior tattooed into my soul so strong that I have to surrender to the hope that it will go away and never appear again, but rather, acknowledge it existing in the corner of my being always coming out to trigger you when you create space for them. What I used to do is try to stop them from coming out when it is already coming out, but you can see it does not work since it is coming out already. That is why I decided to stop trying to keep it in when it’s coming out.
Back to the main topic of progress over perfection, even franchise owners of the Kesae Total Balance have a similar mindset.
Ideally, it would be “perfect” to expand the business under their own brand name and achieve success. However, by joining a franchise, they prioritize achieving their goals rather than pursuing perfection.
They identified the gap between their reality and the goal they want to achieve. And this gap was too big for them alone. They didn’t get so romantic about how they should achieve their goal, but rather they are happy to try whatever it takes to achieve the success they want. I truly commend this honesty and authenticity.
One owner stated, “I am not running a beauty salon just to aim for three stores.” I completely agree.
Is it really satisfying to run a business for a lifetime and only have one, two, or three stores? It’s not about being tied only to the beauty massage salon business, but rather developing the ability to make more choices that prioritize achieving a way of life and being, even if it means automating the business or moving beyond store management.
Rather than aiming for perfection, it is important to prioritize progress to protect it.
Every day, we consider where the “finish line” is and how we can reach it while we are alive. As a matter of fact, there is no finish line and new challenges are bound to arise as we progress. The business you are creating is the direct reflection of who you are so it goes deeper and deeper with yourself. And in reality, we need to change the wrapping of our business.
What I mean by the wrapping is that the principle won’t change, but the rule will change so you need to adjust and navigate your business based on the change happening around it, and sometimes it requires pivoting into a totally different direction because you change.
In that sense, unless you don’t mind your business gone in the future, there is no finish line because it requires consistent adjustment to be congruent.
This is not the definitive answer, but unless we clarify our priorities, we cannot achieve our dreams and goals because there are too many choices.
What should we prioritize? What should we aim for? It is essential to clarify these things and build upon them.
