Perfection, Part III

I was reading an article this morning about New Year’s resolutions and the author mentioned that she doesn’t like to set herself up to fail and so she doesn’t make resolutions too “grand.”

I disagree — make those goals grand, with glitter and sparkles and balloons.

Yes, of course the goal need to be something we can do — I should not, for example, set the goal: “fly to the moon.”

UNLESS I am a NASA-kind of person and there are things I could do that would get me closer to actually reaching the moon.

But I am not an astronaut and so there will be no moon trips for me, and I am okay with that actually.

Maybe the trick is learning to be super proud and happy with the getting-to-the-moon journey — and have gratitude and pride for how far we go on our adventure?

I trained Claire for perfection in obedience — for a moon landing, so to speak.

April 2022

I know what a perfect score of 200 should look like — and I trained to achieve it. We worked and worked on all the tiny pieces that make up perfection in a novice obedience run.

She scored 199.

April 2022

Do you imagine I was disappointed and sad with that score?!

Of course not. I was over the moon — with glitter, sparkles, and rainbow-colored balloons!

Could we have achieved the score of 199 if I had not aspired to perfection? Absolutely not.

Perfection can mean different things to different people, and that is perfectly okay. In fact, perfection can and does mean different things to me with different dogs.

What matters is (1) having a clear vision of perfection, (2) breaking that vision down into all the tiny parts that I call Least Trainable Units (LTUs), and (3) working diligently to achieve perfection in all the LTUs before (4) connecting them together.

We cannot build a perfect Lego person with imperfect pieces. It just doesn’t work.

❤️

Dog training is the same. Perfection happens when all the pieces are perfect — and fit together perfectly.

My tracking Lego pieces are fitting together nicely. This is Pozy from earlier this week demonstrating a lovely start to her track — and finding a well-placed reinforcer (treat) for that excellent and quick start.

And this is Pozy demonstrating a perfect corner 💃🏼

Please — have a perfect day, whatever that looks like for you today.

Perfection, Part II

Do you follow Jennifer Zaayer on Facebook? She is one of the very best at socializing a puppy, and following her progress with Gable is inspiring and informative. It is clear that she is thinking things through and being so very intentional to ensure the best possible outcome: a well socialized puppy.

Gable, J. Zaayer photo

Jennifer is a wonderful example of aspiring to perfection.

Alison Jaskiewicz is another example. She can see the desired outcome with a dog — the perfection — and systematically work her way through the steps to get there. When Alison encounters an obstacle on her way to perfection, she just figures out a different way.

GCH PACH Tristan

Both of these women are creative and kind — and intelligent — trainers who do not “settle” just because aspiring to perfection is hard, and imperfections are inevitable.

An oldie but goodie

You have to be courageous and brave and strong to aspire to perfection.

I think every one of us can do it.

A.A. Milne

And I think every dog deserve a human who aspires to be as perfect as their dog ❤️

Perfection, Part I

I recently became interested in the Shingo Model, which I learned about from Dear Daughter who is completing an MBA with a Shingo Model emphasis. I even did an online training and got a certificate — Go Me!

I love learning!

And that is why I am not making attainable goals in 2024.

Nope.

I am going for perfection.

This is me on a New Year’s Eve two-hour Peloton bike ride 💪🏼

One of the Shingo Guiding Principles is Seek Perfection — and that kind of blew my mind, which was good because it caused me to reflect about this as it relates to goals — and Life, with Dogs.

Sparkle: “Great, could we go on a perfect walk now?”

We get a lot of messages about not trying to be perfect, and the need to make goals that are realistic and achievable.

It is like we build in permission to have defects so that we are not sad and disappointed when it isn’t perfect.

Huh?!

Upon reflection, that seems kind of bonkers.

Why not learn how to not be sad and disappointed when something isn‘t perfect? Those are, after all, just thoughts and feelings that originate in our own minds (unless you are possessed by demons, which is a different problem) and therefore, we have the ability to choose NOT to feel sad and disappointed.

Personally, I do not enjoy sadness or disappointment and so I will not be signing myself up for extra portions.

What if we learn to see defects, errors, and mistakes as invitations to quickly and thoughtfully course correct on the path to perfection?

Wait, WHAT?!

A mistake as an invitation to get closer to perfect and not an opportunity to feel badly about ourselves or poke at our bruises — or blame our dog?!

Exactly.

Ponder that, if you would.

And HAPPY NEW YEAR.