The Practice of Pioneering

I have often said to my close friends, that I don’t like doing things that fall short of excellence. Thus I check, double check, reconsider, redraft, rewrite before doing or releasing anything. I think and think again, of what to say, how to say it, and how to do things to a high level of competence. I strive to exceed expectations, not just meet them. And this – this anal nature – doesn’t sit well with the practice of pioneering.

We are often unprepared for what needs to be done, and this makes us uneasy. It gives a knot in our stomach. We are called to do and be what we are not ready for by events outside of our control. Rarely do we achieve excellence – in fact, never do we achieve it all the time. Occasionally, we are privileged enough to sail through events, operating ‘in the zone’ where time stands still. Most of the time, however, we just try our best to make do with what we have.

This is particularly true when we create new paths. We have not the privilege of wisdom borne of experience – of mistakes made and lessons learned. It is often precisely because we know no better that we manage to start what our predecessors stopped short of doing. A bit of foolishness and risk-taking is required of a pioneer. This sits very uneasily in the heart of a person who strives for excellence.

Instead, to take flight, we must stretch our wings and totter on unsteady feet; to break new ground, we must be willing to make mistakes. If we are fortunate, we are strengthened by the wisdom of mentors, the love of friends, the solidarity of like-minded colleagues, and the deep stirring that comes with clarity of vision.