Making mistakes in life is inevitable. What Epictetus champions is the consistent effort to strive for perfection, not the illusion of achieving it.

Your daily life is a series of moments where you have the chance to do better than you did the day before. Every time you resist an unhealthy snack, or bite your tongue before snapping in anger, you're putting in the effort that Epictetus is talking about. Think about it: What marathon are you running in your life right now, and how could you focus more on the journey than on avoiding every stumble?

Perfectionism is oftentimes the enemy of progress—having it as a target can be paralyzing. Take a moment to reframe your thinking. Instead of bemoaning the flaws you inevitably have, you can pour your energy into the pursuit of self-improvement.

For instance, when you make a mistake at work, instead of fixating on the error, you could dedicate yourself to learning from it and enhancing your skills.

This approach is proactive and forgiving; it allows room for growth without the crushing weight of unattainable standards.

So, what is one fault you've been fixated on, and how can you shift your efforts towards continuous improvement starting today?