Why striving for ‘perfect’ could be your weakness

We’ve all heard the echoes of perfection reverberate through our minds. Coaches, parents, teachers, and yes, the fire service have all added to this symphony. Who hasn’t heard, “Practice makes perfect?” Or more subtle references like, “Give 110%,” “Only the best,” “No mistakes,” or “Practice until you can’t get it wrong.” We’ve heard these phrases since childhood. And in nearly every fire academy, this message is reinforced, doubling down on the pursuit of perfection.

This relentless drive for perfection is akin to Sisyphus, the Greek king who Hades condemned for eternity by having him push a boulder up a mountain, only to have it roll back down once it nears the top. Firefighters often find themselves in a similar cycle: chasing perfection, only to watch it slip away. This pursuit can lead to burnout, accelerated fatigue, depression, and injury.

Why Does Perfection Increase Burnout?

Perfection increases the likelihood of burnout because it’s an illusion – a fool’s chase. It’s unattainable. Like a mirage in the desert, it appears real from a distance, but vanishes as we near. The mirage again appears in the distance, and the chase begins again. Just like the desert traveler chasing illusions, we fall victim to exhaustion. We never reach the oasis of perfection.

This washing machine cycle is one of the reasons perfection leads to burnout. Other factors add fuel to the fire of burnout: perfection leaves no room for failure. Many firefighters – some of you reading now – might think, “What’s the problem? There’s no room for failure in the fire service.” But without the cycle of failure and improvement, we’ll never develop resilience – individually or collectively.

Vincent Dunn, in his book Safety and Survival on the Fireground, said “… when called we always arrive. That is the key to the fire service – dependability.” If I may be so bold as to amend this statement: To be dependable, one needs to be resilient. Resilience, I believe, is the true cornerstone of the fire service.

I offer you three concepts which have helped craft, build, and hone my resilience:

  • Keeping an “open mindset”
  • Constant small improvements
  • Becoming process focused

In Dr. Carol Deweck’s book Mindset, she introduces the idea of an “open mindset” versus a “closed mindset.” An “open mindset” fosters improvement and builds resilience. A “closed mindset” stifles growth and hinders performance. Perfection is a “closed mindset” – it focuses on a fixed state where by definition improvement can’t exist. Remember, perfection by definition can’t be improved. Shifting to an “open mindset” encourages growth, builds resilience, and guards against burnout.

Excellence, unlike perfection, is rooted in an “open mindset.” Excellence allows for failure, because failure is the key to learning and growth. Without failure improvement stagnates. We can have the best performance of our lives or do everything right on the fire ground and still fail. When viewed through the lens of perfection, failure highlights our inadequacies, the places where “We will never be good enough.” If our focus is on “being perfect,” these inevitable failures damage our mental state. But if we aim for excellence, we leave space to learn, grow, and build resilience from failure.

This shift in mindset may seem subtle, but it’s potent and powerful. So how do we constantly seek excellence?

The ‘Kiwi Kaizen’

I found answers in James Kerr’s book Legacy. In his groundbreaking look at peak performance, Kerr examines the All Blacks, one of the most successful teams in history. The Ruby pitch is their domain for dominance. One of their keys to success is a concept of “Kiwi Kaizen” – a New Zealand twist on the Japanese concept of kaizen or constantly seeking improvement. All Black players are asked to write down 100 things that can be improved by 1%. These 1% improvements can be personal or professional.

This concept dovetails with James Clear’s Atomic Habits, which illustrates how small, consistent changes over time lead to major transformations. The mental health benefits are profound: rather than feeling like we are never measuring up to perfection, we are constantly achieving small successes and moving the measuring bar forward. This helps prevent burnout. The internal narrative begins to change from, “I’m never good enough” – a deeply rooted fear – to “I’m good enough. It’s like me to improve.”

“Kiwi Kaizen” helps shift our minds’ focus towards The Process and away from being outcome focused. Perfection (the goal) is a “closed mindset” and outcome focused. Improvement (The Process) is an “open mindset.” Embracing The Process allows the veil of perfection to disappear. We replace all the places where “we aren’t good enough” with opportunities to improve – we begin to see the 1% everywhere and start to understand the beauty of The Process.

Win With The Process

In his book With Winning in Mind, Olympic and elite performers coach Lanny Bassham emphasizes that those who focus on The Process, and not perfection, win more often. Those fixated on perfection tend to burn out. While firefighters are not Olympic athletes, we are vulnerable to the same fate.

The old cliche holds true: “It is the journey and not the destination.” Or, in simpler terms, “love the grind.”

Burnout in the fire service is real. There are many contributing factors, and perfectionism is just one. We can do everything “right” and still burn out. I’ve faced burnout multiple times over my 23-year career. The tools I have shared helped me combat burnout and build resilience.

It’s the journey – and the grind – that build resilience, not the victories. Being “perfect” doesn’t make you strong. In fact, it’s far too often the opposite. It’s our failures, recommitting to the process, the pursuit of the smallest improvement, and keeping an “open mindset” that forms the foundation of resilience.

We can’t be “perfect,” but we can become excellent.