Perfectionism is the great killer of the good. Successful people learn to roll with the punches. People who insist on things going their way in every case (Plan A) will be continually frustrated and feel like failures. If Plan A equals happiness, you will be unhappy about 90 percent of the time, and frightened of becoming unhappy the other 10 percent.

Learning to embrace change is one of the most freeing, invigorating skills we can develop. I still remember the advice that Porter Stark, a dear friend and business associate, gave me at a crossroads moment in my life. I was thinking about selling a company that I had owned for many years. Frankly, too much of my self-identity and ego were tied up in that company.

“Besides,” I wondered, “what will I do without the company?”
Porter’s simple comment was, “Steve, there comes a time when every plant needs to be repotted in new soil.”