Well-Being in the Legal Profession: Concrete Strategies for Positive Change (Perfectionism)
In partnership with the Law Society of Manitoba and the Law Society of Saskatchewan, CLIA is hosting Well-Being in the Legal Profession Week, May 12th to 16th. Building on the theme of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Mental Health Week of Unmasking Mental Health and the results of the National Study on the Health and Wellness Determinants of Legal Professionals in Canada, we will be sharing blog posts and free daily webinars available to members in CLIA jurisdictions.
Today’s topic is perfectionism. Being a lawyer means we need to provide sound advice to our clients and pay close attention to detail. Striving to produce quality work product can easily lead to us overworking by revising again and again. The Alberta Lawyers’ Assistance Society’s article, Excellent is Good Enough, outlines several negative consequences of perfectionism including:
Perfectionism involves continuing past excellence but may not add significant value while increasing psychological risk. One reason for this is that the pursuit of perfection tires perfectionists who are then too exhausted to seek out resources which support sustainable performance and well-being. The researchers state that the “pursuit of high standards can be seen as a good thing but pushing this tendency beyond the point of optimal returns may turn a good thing into a potentially deleterious one.”
Questions to ask yourself to determine if you have perfectionist tendencies include:
Do I have trouble meeting my own standards?
Do I often feel frustrated, depressed, anxious, or angry while trying to meet my standards?
Have I been told that my standards are too high?
Do my standards get in my own way? For example, do they make it difficult for me to meet deadlines, finish a task, trust others, or do anything spontaneously?
The article also references research that posits we should be striving for excellence rather than perfection:
So, what does research tell us about perfectionism? To reduce it to its simplest finding, excellencism is a better strategy then perfectionism both in terms of work product and in terms of well-being.
Professor Gaudreau and his co-authors outline many dimensions of perfectionism which they define as having excessively high and often unrealistic standards along with overly critical self-evaluation. They also define “excellencism” as a “tendency to aim and strive toward very high yet attainable standards in an effortful, engaged, and determined yet flexible manner.”
Both perfectionism and excellencism involve setting high standards, but excellence strivers know when they have achieved their goal while perfectionists may recognize having attained excellence but continue to push further.
Check out this article for more information on perfectionism and also the list of other resources on their website.
Today’s webinar topic also focuses on perfectionism. As noted by speaker, Bena Stock:
We are happiest, healthiest, and most successful when we adopt healthy lifestyles and work habits. Long hours, demanding clients, complex files, and difficult opposing counsel can be occupational hazards in the practice of law. Understanding how you respond to these challenges and learning coping mechanisms and concrete strategies to help you manage stress and anxiety will help you build a flourishing career.
The 60-minutes webinar will explore:
Lawyer well-being and mental health in the legal profession.
The importance of recognizing your automatic stress response.
Strategies to shift your thinking so you can better manage stress and anxiety.
How perfectionism fuels procrastination and undermines self-confidence.
How to build resilience and optimism.
If you missed it, a recording will be available soon on the Law Society of Saskatchewan website.