18th August, 2026

Perfection

A thought for your day, with my good wishes …

There is a danger of changing too much in the search for perfection.

― Agnetha Fältskog, Swedish singer and songwriter (ABBA)

How are you, as we enjoy what some refer to as the “dog days of summer”? For readers in countries where this term isn’t common or doesn’t translate in a logical way, these are the long, hot days of summer when it may be tempting to laze around.

As a recovering perfectionist who delivers training on why and how we should pursue excellence rather than perfection, I’ll own it. The thought of being in this home, reading a good book while sunning on its rocks or splashing amid the lakes and waterway leading to the Baltic Sea is, indeed, excellent. While I didn’t enjoy any of those lovely pleasures, I did enjoy a wonderful boat ride along the Stockholm archipelago a few weeks ago.

If you have the opportunity to visit Sweden, do so. I’ve been to Göteborg/Gothenburg and Stockholm and this year brought my third visit to this beautiful country. It was a pleasure and privilege to be the only English-speaking presenter at a university-hosted conference and, after my time with this lovely group, I made time for more explorations.

If you’d like to see more of my travel videos and pics, you’re welcome to join me on Instagram and YouTube, without needing your own accounts to access what you’ll see there.

Images © 2026 Shelagh Donnelly. All rights reserved.