Written By Ryleigh Morris, NALJA Director

We often catch ourselves wanting the perfect life. Whether it’s comparing ourselves to others or just thinking the life we’re living right now is not good enough. One quote my FFA teacher always reminded us of was, “Rome wasn’t built in a day, but they were laying bricks every hour. You don’t have to do it all today. Just lay a brick.” It takes a long time to do a job or task properly, and you should not rush it or expect to do it quickly.

However, wanting to do better is not a bad thing. We all need to challenge ourselves and exceed our goals in life, but focusing on perfection can make you feel overwhelmed and discouraged and even stop you before you even start. This is why a focus on progress is critical. In showing livestock, there is no such thing as the perfect animal. They all have flaws, but our work and preparation at home to make that animal near perfection matters. If you set the bar high and take progression day by day, you’re just one step closer to achieving your goals.

We need to focus on the bigger picture of not wanting to be perfect and breaking ourselves down by not believing in ourselves but working on ourselves to take those lessons learned to build progression every day to reach our goals.