Appreciating Imperfection

This morning I was in the garden deadheading rose bushes and I had an interesting epiphany.
I live “in the country” and my twenty plus years of landscaping is primarily composed of drought tolerant California natives. I like supporting the local birds and bees in combination with the beauty of native plants. Somewhere along the way, we decided we wanted a few strategically placed rose bushes to add the “special something” that only roses offer.

In clipping the spent buds, what I noticed is that my rose bushes are far from perfect. Really far. I saw aphids, discolored leaves, definitely not your prize winning plants. Then, out of the blue, the thought that crossed my mind was “so what?” With minimal effort, the blooms are spectacular, smell lovely, and they enhance our natural habitat in just the way we planned. What’s the problem?

This is a new way of thinking for me. In the past, I would have been very concerned with the overall condition of the roses and immediately started problem solving a way to correct the flaws. Today I am thinking that the roses are doing exactly what we wanted, so why should I be required to put additional time and energy into correcting problems that are somewhat inconsequential? Can I enjoy the roses without the plants being perfect?

In business, do you spend your resources (time, energy, money) in places that might not need additional attention? Is it difficult for you to let good enough be good enough? In keeping with the garden analogy, if the flowers you are producing are spectacular, you are obviously doing things right - fertilizing, watering, and pruning. If you aren’t producing spectacular flowers, are you able to enjoy the fruits of your labor?