If you are experienced at all in the art of meditation then you probably had a good chuckle at the title of this article. "Meditating Perfectly" is a concept that most of us must release in order to achieve a meditative state... A perfect meditation, for many of us, is an oxymoron.

But if you are determined to recieve "benefits" from your meditation, I can give you a few pointers and wish you the best:

1) Find Your Style - No one can decide for you what level you are at. If you have some cult-like yogi bearing down on you with illustrious descriptions of what "dimension" you are in, it is my recommendation that you terminate the friendship ASAP. There are a number of great books on the subject of meditation and you were born with the ability to smell "poohie" when it presents itself.
Some people prefer to approach meditation from a religious or spiritual position and there are a number of classes, seminars, and FREE meditation workshops conducted by Churches, Temples and Religious organizations. Although you need not ever pay to meditate properly, some teachers and instructors are actually worth the money when you can find yourself a good one.
Other people find that meditation is a highly scientific process and examine the benefits of deep relaxation as a way to reduce blood pressure, relax muscle tension and filter out extraneous mental processes collected throughout the day... This type of meditator will sometimes find themselves "missing out on the magic" and becoming frustrated with others who claim to have had a more spiritual experience. The highly scientific rules of a staunch non-spiritualist almost always inhibit their ability to recieve the supposed benefits they are looking for. To them, I say: "relax".
The questions you might want to answer for yourself are: Do I want to listen to music, nature sounds or be silent when I meditate? Do I want to have a guide on my meditation or see what I can do on my own? Do I want to meditate with a group of more experienced people who can show me their techniques or do I want to avoid other people's bad habits and meditate at home?

2) Leggo Your Ego - I don't know you but I know you are not perfect and neither am I. This is an essential step in recieving a good meditation: we must realize that a meditation is a gift (whether it be from God, the teachings of Buddha or a natural phenomenon is irrelevant). The point is that you must let go of the idea that you can "make it happen" for yourself. We are free to affect our lives directly during our work week and in our interpersonal relationships all we want... Meditation is not your time to be a superstar. If you kick back, relax and stop trying to force an outcome, you will be far more pleased with the experience you recieve.
If you are generally an "uptight" sort of person with a lot of anxiety about the directions your life is headed in, I would actually recommend that you meditate with a group of rowdy teenagers so you can learn patience and develop a sense of humor. Just don't kill the poor kids.
Seriously, anxiety must be dealt with by self-confrontation... not ignoring the anxiety or trying to make it "go away".

3) Props are really cool - Although you'll never be able to convince anyone that they are necessary, you might find some comfort in having a special or familiar object on your person when you meditate. The buddhist monks will sometimes have a loop of 108-count prayer beads (Japa Mala) with which they remember to say their meditative chant 108 times, Native Americans use drums to achieve a transcendant state, Catholics have a Rosary, Tibetans use singing bowls, the Muslims have Misbaha to coincide with the 99 names of Allah, and many others "awake" with a bell.
Occasionally people prefer a special totem of significance to set at their side or hold in their hands. Others will find a practical item essential to their meditative state like a comfortable pillow to sit on or a cup of their favorite herbal tea.
The choice is yours but it is also my advice to not focus on the theatrics of a good setting and lose sight of your purpose. Some kinds of incense will bother a person with allergies, some caffienated beverages will increase restlessness and some props become a circus sideshow of their own accord... keep it simple.

4) Actually meditate - This is the most difficult step for many people. They talk about meditation, read books about meditation, tell other people about meditation... but do they really meditate?
One of the silliest things I used to say was "I don't have time to meditate". The irony of that statement is that I was so preoccupied with all of my day-to-day problems that I left no space in my life for a solution to those problems.

5) Empty your mind, don't fill it - A common obstacle in meditation is the discovery that we have a tendency to day dream or "drift off" and feel as though we are wasting valuable time. Afterall, if meditation is only an opportunity to day dream, then we needn't put so much emphasis on the practice, right? Some people are suited just fine to go on a trip to their castle in the sky while others want to achieve true inner peace by way of an EMPTY mind. So, why is it so hard to not think about things?
This is what some buddhists refer to as "the cart wheel following the hoof of the ox". Obviously, something must happen to disconnect us from that which we are trying to relieve ourselves from or it will always follow us. As humans, we have a tendency to ignore the simple solution which is just to be still and "try again".
After we have shown resolve to keep meditating, our active mind will get tired of trying to interfere with this process... it will take a break. In the meantime, when your "mental chatter" gets the best of you, simply acknowledge that it has happened (again) and go back to counting your breaths or listening to your guide.
There are many philosophies on what should be the desired outcome of meditation but I believe that clearing the "mental chatter" should be a top priority. This incessant over-thinking and pointless inner dialogue which the 12-step recovery folks have dubbed "The Entire Committee (in your head)" is what inhibits us from functioning happily and peacefully.

This is not to say that Meditation is a "miracle cure" for anything. I am only suggesting that when meditation is practiced with good intention, we can calm the parts of our minds which prevent us from experiencing the benefits of living.