“Perfectionism is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence”

- Vince Lombardi

This is a quote I wish I had come across much earlier in life because the depth of its meaning truly resonates with what I have come to learn through out my journey. I’m going to be honest, I used to be a perfectionist, however, becoming part of the aviation industry transformed me for the better. Now I still aim for perfection…HOWEVER this time I am fully aware that it’s never 100% attainable. This altered the way I react when I don’t achieve this “illusory” 100 percent.

Perfectionism as an idea, is not the devil, it’s our approach towards it that shapes the nature of its outcomes.

The history of perfection in aviation is a tale of continuous progress, innovation, and overcoming challenges. Over the past century, aviation has transformed from the Wright brothers' first flight to the complex, safe, and efficient air travel systems of today. "Perfection" in aviation is actually a moving target, reflecting advances in safety, technology, speed, efficiency, and passenger experience.

One should be especially careful not to adopt an “all or nothing” mentality in their pursuit of perfectionism. Unfortunately, I fell into this trap. Over time, I noticed a tendency to not walk down a path that I wasn’t 100 percent sure will get me to the exact destination of where I thought I wanted to be.

My personal wake up call was during a training flight I had undertook from Hungary to Romania. Departure point was Debrecen, Hungary, and the plan was to cross the Romanian border, proceed to Oradea from there to Baia Mare and finally to Satu mare performing a different approach exercise at each.

Starting from the unexpected, delayed entry approval to Romanian airspace resulting in a holding at the border, to arriving and departing IFR traffic interrupting our approaches to even the military exercises taking place between Baia Mare and Satu mare, all of which could have been a great learning opportunity. However, I ended up learning a different lesson that flight.

When things didn’t go as I had hoped — my approaches weren’t at the level I expected, along with everything else — my frustration took over. It prevented me from focusing on other tasks and recognizing that there were still plenty of opportunities to make up for it. Instead, I allowed myself to believe that because things weren’t going well from the start, the entire flight was doomed to fail.

It was after this particular flight that I truly understood it was time to let go of the "all or nothing" mindset I had subconsciously held for years. Learning from past mistakes, focusing on what lies ahead, and having the right skills and mindset were all crucial for making this shift.

I learned that perfection doesn’t come from avoiding mistakes; rather, it is the result of the lessons we learn from them and apply. In fact, those very mistakes we once believed hindered perfection are what contribute to it.

In aviation, as in many other fields, the concept of a "perfect" system is constantly evolving. While perfection remains an elusive goal, it's evident that the journey toward it is far from finished.