Perfection is the Enemy of Progress!
Tags: Travel, China, Perfection, Thailand, Photography

Chinese New Year is the biggest holiday in China, during this time of the year millions of chinese people travel back to their hometowns and millions travel to nearby countries such as Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea and Japan.

Last Chinese New Year the education company I was working for, decided to reward all the employees with an all inclusive paid holiday in Thailand.

We spent 9 days in the land of smile and it was amazing.

We flew from Shanghai to Phuket.

It wasn’t the first time in Thailand for me, I had already visited the country three times before, but it was the first time in Phuket.

Before, I mainly travelled in the north of the country, backpacking, hitchhiking and couch-surfing.

This time the style was totally different.

We stayed at a very fancy resort, all activities were previously arranged and we always moved by coach.

We were more than 70 people doing everything together almost all the time.

For many of my travel companions was the first time in Thailand and for few of them the first time out of China.

I can’t deny that the resort life and not having to plan or worry about anything was pretty enjoyable, I just followed and enjoyed, but most of all everything was free.

In those 9 days we went snorkelling in crystal-clear water, we sailed to pristine beaches, we enjoyed massages and delicious local food, we visited temples and we went shopping.

It was the first time for me to have such a kind of experience.

My travels are always less planned, more frugal, and much much less luxurious.

Me and three other were staying in a beautiful villa with 2 bedrooms, a nice kitchen and a big living room. From my bedroom I had direct access to the swimming pool.

Oh boy, I miss that swimming pool!

One of the planned activities was sailing to a small island off the coast of Phuket for our last relaxing day before flying back to Shanghai.

Once we landed, as soon as everybody got off the catamaran we used to reach the island, we gathered together to take a group picture.

As you can immagine, to take a group picture with so many people is not an easy task.

The sun was above us, it was hot and if you don’t know, chinese people, like most of asians, don’t really like to be exposed to the sun.

Everybody was impatient, moving and trying to create some shadow to keep the sun away, somebody simply using hands, somebody using smartphones or simply large hats.

Amongst us was the general manager of the company and when everybody was ready, he said something that I couldn’t agree more with.

To the guy who was taking the picture, he said: Hey, perfect doesn’t exist!

What he meant was: don’t wait to have a perfect shot, because it won’t happen. If you wait too long people will be more and more uncomfortable under the sun, if you are too fast people are not ready, if you wait for everybody to look at the camera at the same time you gotta wait forever.

If you want the job done you can’t wait for perfection.

Churchill once said: “Perfection is the Enemy of Progress”.

I really like the picture we took and it is a great memory for me.

It looks great, even better than perfect because perfection doesn’t equals greatness.

Perfection is more a technical standard, but it is imperfection and spontaneity that make things unique and amazing, perfection is just a concept to aim to. And while we aim, we have to do, try, fail, try again, fail again, fail better, learn, progress, improve, learn.

Perfection is necessary but what must be understood is that perfection is not the goal. If you have something you want to achieve you can’t wait for a perfect time, you can’t wait to have the perfect tools, the perfect know how, the perfect conditions.

You have to do what you can with what you have. At least it’s a first step that will bring you closer to your destination and your goals, and will move you away from the static position where you were stuck inactive, waiting for the perfect time, the perfect moment, the perfect condition. That perfect situation doesn’t exist, so jump and learn on the way.

You want to work out? Don’t wait to have the adequate equipment, the right clothes or shoes. Start, start now. You can always get what you need later, and chances are you will realise that all you need is less than what you thought.

You want to start a diet? Don’t wait for Monday, start with your next meal.

You want to learn a language? You can virtually listen to endless material in any language anytime, don’t wait to find a teacher or a school. You can always do that later.

Don’t let the idea of perfection stop you from starting or doing whatever you want to.

Just jump, now!

SAM