You fail a lot. It hurts. But it's also why you will succeed

End of the month reflections

I've had a few patients who haven't been improving as quickly as I'd hoped, and it doesn't feel good. I've felt like a failure, and I thought it might be useful to share my reflections.

We often have lopsided priorities, focusing so intensely on one aspect of life that we neglect others. My relentless pursuit of perfection puts me at risk of burnout and feeling like I've fallen short as a human being. I know I can lean too hard on achieving that elusive goal of perfection.

As I say this, I realize many people feel the same way.

We all struggle intensely with things we don't like about ourselves and often act in ways that maintain those very concerns. For example, constantly checking if others respect us can intensify our unhappiness because we hyperfocus on signs that they don't. Or we avoid situations that make us uncomfortable, so we don't have to face our fears, leaving them unchallenged.

Feeling like we're terrible doesn't actually mean we are terrible.

We must face ourselves, evaluate our feelings realistically and logically, and challenge our fears head-on.

It takes courage, and I admire my patients who come to see me every week to face themselves. Now, I will take a leaf from their book and move forward, facing myself!

This reflection is not just applicable to healthcare professionals, but also to parents. As parents, we often strive for perfection in raising our children, which can lead to feelings of inadequacy when things don’t go as planned. It’s important to remember that it’s okay to make mistakes and learn from them. Just like my patients, parents show immense courage every day in facing challenges and striving to do their best. So, to all the parents out there, let’s keep moving forward, facing ourselves, and grinding, little by little.

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