Abandon perfection, embrace mediocrity? What am I, crazy? Who could propose such a thing?

But wait! Perhaps there’s something to unpack between these two polarities. Might there be merit in making mediocrity a goal?

Having a halfway-decent ability in something gets a bad name in our world. The superlatives get all the glory. We bow down to the serious professionals of any field.

But what about we mere mortals who simply want to be able to simply do something? You want to be a musician, you want to write a novel, you want to make something with your hands, you want to dance. You want to be in the game.

The thing that will stop you in your tracks is standing at the gulf between the zero ability you have now and the peak performances of the professionals in the field. It’s like standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon, hoping to pole vault across it with a toothpick.

That’s where the merit of mediocrity comes in. Banish the thought of blue-ribbons and gold-medal-podiums from your mind. Instead, commit to consistency.

Tell yourself “I may never become the best at this, but I can commit to making some progress every day.” The road to proficiency is paved with practice. You can stand atop the hill of halfway-good before deciding if you want to climb the peak of perfection.

Dial down your uncertainty by releasing your hold on perfection. You’ll never know if you’re capable of world class results unless you take it easy on the starting line and commit to consistent progress.

Maybe there’s magic in mediocrity after all. Consistency is the key to unlock it!

Much love and happy practice till next Monday!

Merci et à bientôt!

M+

ML #635

Mark Metz
Monday Love
Music & Movement Calendar