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….