Start every day with these two questions for optimal success

Some tasks can wait. Others can’t. Here’s how to know which is which.

In the social startup sector, striving for perfection can lead to unnecessary feelings of failure — and worse, can set you back on your mission to make positive change. But Mallory Palisch, a founder of Reach University, an online college that addresses America’s teaching shortage, has a tip to combat the burnout. Social entrepreneurs should focus on two questions daily: What is the one thing you need to get right today? And how can you survive on everything else until tomorrow?

Mallory emphasizes that it’s unrealistic to expect perfection. Entrepreneurs should focus on their core mission, accept imperfections in other areas, and let those areas catch up over time. Great achievements take years or even decades, and social entrepreneurs tackling complex issues like homelessness, drug addiction, and education, should accept that progress will be hard and slow. Embracing this reality is crucial for success and making a meaningful impact.