This is probably going to be contrary to what others say, but I truly don't understand this quest for perfection -- in anything, but most especially diet.
What follows is from Philip Humbert's TIPS newsletter (italics mine):
Perfection, Excellence and Good Enough
There are two phrases that are widely thought to encourage peak performance, but are actually recipes for disaster.
The first is the ever-popular search for "best practices" and the other is the quest for "zero defects." While I understand the intention behind them, in the real world too often they merely trigger our fears and create tremendous interference.
Professionals hate making mistakes! No one wants to mess up, drop the ball or fail! We hate being embarrassed!
Unfortunately, human beings are only human. We get tired, we forget, we get distracted. We have misunderstandings and sometimes (I hate to say it) we make mistakes. We "mess up."
In the quest for perfection, we kid ourselves and we waste time and energy striving for the impossible. Most of the time we are far more successful if we strive for excellence rather than perfection. And, sometimes, the situation only requires "good enough," and our efforts beyond that are a waste of time.
This week, I finished a biography of Howard Hughes and in summing up his life, the authors made this astonishing assessment: "...geniuses must, like all of us, live in the real world. Hughes never learned how to convert his knowledge to practical application. Instead, he sought a perfection that assured failure." (Empire: The Life, Legend and Madness of Howard Hughes, by Donald L. Bartlett & James B. Steel, p. 623.)
Now, of course there are instances where "perfection" is the appropriate standard, but in real life, these are few and far between. Most of the time, our quest for "perfection" is inappropriate and grows out of an exaggerated desire to be right, to be super-human, to avoid criticism or risk.
Peak performers are more interested in getting things done than in perfection. High achievers look for appropriate outcomes and measure their success based on the quantity and quality of their results.
In most areas of life and business, here are my preferred standards:
1. Excellence. In work and in relationships, seek excellence. We want superb results that other people admire, but life rarely asks for perfection. Mistakes are merely the price of experimentation, learning and growth. Never fear making a mistake; fear failing to learn and move forward.
2. Good Enough. In most activities our goal should be performance appropriate to the situation. Anything less is sloppy or careless and that is never acceptable, but anything beyond what a specific situation requires or expects is merely personal preference.
Consider my front lawn. It is not a prize-winning lawn and no one's life or happiness or career depends on it's appearance, so "good enough" requires a few minutes with the trimmer, a half-hour with the mower, and some fertilizer from time to time. It looks "good enough" and blends with the standard in our neighborhood. Anything less would be "sloppy;" anything beyond that is time spent for some other, personal, reason.
Perfection is rarely required. Instead, strive for excellence in the important areas of life, and "good enough" in everything else. I think you'll be happier, more productive and, in the long run, far more successful.
When my children were in school I used to tell them to do their best. As long as they were doing their best, I didn't care if they didn't get A's or if their results weren't perfect. I didn't want perfect kids; I wanted kids who put forth their best effort. It's also important to realize that your "best" varies.
This is from
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz:
ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST.
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are tired as opposed to well-rested. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.
Your best when experiencing PMS isn't going to be the same as when you're not. .
And finally, no matter what we're doing, we're going to have good days, we're going to have bad days and we're going to have days that are downright awful. To expect something different is unrealistic.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."