Perfectionism Will Ruin Any Vocation
More Thoughts on Purpose (14)
HI FRIENDS
Perfectionism. It’s hard to spot, isn’t it? And it seems the more that we embrace our vocation, the harder it is to spot because perfectionism can so easily masquerade as passion. As we passionately pursue work that is meaningful to us, and we begin to adopt a spirit of excellence, it becomes more and more difficult to distinguish between what is fulfilling work and what is simply a life of infinitely postponed satisfaction. It’s not only hard to tell from the inside, it’s also hard to tell from the outside. Looking at others, we can’t really tell what’s driving them and whether they are also caught up in this empty game or not.
This makes it all the more important to recognise that perfectionism is an enemy of vocation. It doesn’t matter how perfectly placed we are in our calling, perfectionism will rob us of it’s rewards.
Because of this, I have realised that any definition of vocation that is worthwhile will have room not just for attainment, but also contentment. There is no use postponing enjoyment until we get to the top of the mountain, because in our case we may never “get there” before our time runs out.
Following our calling is not only about external attainments and progress, but also about becoming fully ourselves and fully alive. I’m not sure how we can best define this amalgamation of ambition and contentment. But it’s something I’m working on.
For now though, I want to put up a red flag in recognition that some talk about purpose can turn pretty toxic, pretty quick. Purpose can morph into a version of hustle culture or influencer culture and lead us to burn out very quickly, and all that waits for us there is the barren wasteland of perfectionism, which can sour any vocation.
🚩 RED FLAG 1:
Toxic talk about purpose will set us on a path to burn out.
Good talk about purpose is going to help guide us away from perfectionism. And I find the creation story in Genesis an unexpected example for guidance on how to think of this.
The story is one I know all too well. It has this repeating narrative where God speaks things into existence and observes them as good. “God said ‘let there be light’. And God saw that it was good… God said, ‘Let the land produce vegetation’…and God saw that it was good.” Despite being so familiar with the repeating pattern of this creation narrative, where everything is seen to be good, good and very good, I had never stopped to ask why it wasn’t perfect.
Huh. Now that is a question. It turns out that the concept of perfection in the way we understand it, is more of a Greek idea. These scriptures were written by the Hebrews, and to them for something to be good, it has to have growth in it. Good is dynamic. It’s generative. It’s ongoing. It’s positive and endless and changeable. Perfection, in contrast, is more static. For it to change, it can only really get worse.
Good is creative and dynamic.
Perfection is lifeless and static.
So let’s be like God. Let’s stand back from our work, even in the process saying, ‘this is good.’ At the end of each process, each project, each day:
This. Is. Good.
I have noticed that when I am unable or unwilling to point out the progress in the process by declaring it as good, enjoying it as good, blessing it as good, it is telling me something important — that perfectionism is robbing me of the creativity and life of my vocation, even while pursuing it.
Godspeed,
T Mo
NEWS & LINKS
How Struthless deals with perfectionism
Very practical stuff here. Interesting that he links perfectionism with procrastination too.
Forget about goal setting. Try these 5 strategies instead.
This article sparked my imagination. It made me wonder if I could find an exercise/meditation that uses the power of visualisation in an accessible way.