Muhalab Al Sammarraie, D.D.S., initially from Baghdad, is the location dental director at AltaMed Well being Companies, one of many nation’s largest federally certified well being facilities. Acknowledged as a 2023 ADA 10 Underneath 10 Award winner and an Incisal Edge journal 40 Underneath 40 High Dentist in America for 2023, he’s additionally a global lecturer at Universidad De La Salle Bajio and a preceptor for Tufts College Faculty of Dental Drugs college students. He serves as an alternate delegate to the 2024 ADA Home of Delegates and a member of the persevering with training and communication committees on the San Diego County Dental Society. Dr. Al Sammarraie’s management spans public, non-public and nonprofit sectors, specializing in training, social companies and well being care. Past dentistry, he helps activist teams in Iraq, serving to warfare victims and displaced people entry training and medical care.
Dentistry represents the proper intersection between scientific precision and inventive creativity. It isn’t merely about treating tooth; dentists are artists who mix their understanding of organic sciences with distinctive inventive abilities to craft smiles that swimsuit each face, making dentistry the beaming face of drugs. As dentists, our coaching includes engaged on extraordinarily small areas, usually no bigger than a number of millimeters. We perceive how even a minuscule distinction can dramatically alter a affected person’s look, which might result in meticulous overthinking and a relentless pursuit of perfection.
Even whenever you create a surprising smile, it’s possible you’ll solely be capable to deal with a quarter-millimeter discrepancy that’s seen to others solely beneath magnification. This consideration to element can result in frustration or remorse over hours of effort, though the result’s glorious from the affected person’s perspective (and may even impress different dentists). This endless quest for perfection is the inspiration of our excessive requirements and causes us to repeatedly push the boundaries of precision and excellence in dentistry.
The perils of perfectionism
What’s perfectionism? It’s the continual seek for flawlessness and the rejection of something wanting it. The issue, although, is that whenever you search perfection, your objectives regularly change and are at all times simply out of attain. Consider it as a race the place the end line is at all times three steps forward, irrespective of how lengthy you run.
This drive for perfection may initially inspire younger achievers by providing a lofty purpose to try for. Nonetheless, it could possibly steadily change into poisonous because it depletes your power, causes emotions of persistent inadequacy and makes the accomplishments that you simply do attain much less joyful as a result of they by no means attain your thought of “good.” Because the saying goes, courtesy of Winston Churchill, “Perfection is the enemy of progress.” The relentless pursuit of perfection will be damaging to your psychological well being, usually resulting in stress, anxiousness and melancholy. Moreover, in the event you’re consistently looking for perfection in a single space, it’s possible you’ll miss different alternatives that make your skilled and private lives rewarding and pleasant.
Recalibrate your perceptions
When the seek for perfection turns into an excessive amount of, recalibrate your perceptions — do not forget that perfection is barely an phantasm, however striving for excellence is feasible. It’s a small shift, solely a single phrase, nevertheless it’s sufficient to reframe your thoughts and stop the unavoidable burnout related to the search for perfectionism.
In my very own journey, I’ve discovered that, finally, God will result in what is supposed to be, and I’ll obtain what I deserve, even when it isn’t the proper end result I initially envisioned. In my tradition, we emphasize stability, saying, “Moderation is the adornment of issues,” highlighting that discovering equilibrium is essential to attaining true achievement. Shifting my focus towards inside peace and excellence somewhat than perfection has been transformative. This modification has allowed me to develop, mature and achieve knowledge, specializing in the perfect outcomes for everybody somewhat than selfishly looking for perfection.
Coping with comparisons has been essential on this journey. Some folks appear to have every little thing completely executed and painting life as flawless, making you query, “What’s incorrect with me?” There’s a saying, “He exaggerates and makes a giant fuss out of a tiny factor,” which captures this properly. Some do that deliberately, whereas others do it unintentionally to really feel pleased. I discovered to not choose others and to take solely the constructive facets from these portrayals, specializing in my progress with out unrealistic comparisons. Typically, I hesitate to strive issues as a result of they’re marketed as extraordinary feats. Nonetheless, once I lastly try them, I understand they’re neither as troublesome nor as spectacular as portrayed. This understanding has helped me strategy challenges with a balanced perspective, specializing in my capabilities and progress.
Create a life exterior of your work
Loving your work and being happy with what you do is pure, nevertheless it’s necessary to do not forget that dentistry is only one side of your id. Allocate time for relaxation, social actions and breaks to take care of a well-rounded work-life stability. You’ll carry out higher at work whenever you give your self ample time away from it. The time period “work-life stability” is used loads, nevertheless it’s a fantasy — you can’t deal with each equally. As an alternative, you possibly can try for concord by aligning your actions along with your distinctive values, objectives and life circumstances.
Discover hobbies exterior of labor that carry you pleasure, assist handle your stress and can help you step out of the work headspace. Whether or not it’s enjoying soccer (or ought to I say, soccer), mountain climbing or studying a musical instrument, participating in actions you like can remind you there’s extra to life than profession “perfection.”
Volunteer
Discovering achievement usually means trying past perfection, and volunteering is usually a key to this realization. Giving again to the group, particularly to these underserved, exhibits that perfection isn’t essential to make a constructive impression. Moreover, sharing your data and mentoring others can foster constructive adjustments, reinforcing the concept that everybody has one thing worthwhile to supply.
Volunteering supplies a way of objective and perspective. By specializing in the wants of others and tackling real-world issues, you’ll see that the worth you carry isn’t reliant upon flawless efficiency, and success will be discovered solely with continuous progress. Volunteering fosters empathy, reduces stress and builds group connections, enhancing private progress and well-being. It promotes a balanced outlook on life and achievements, which is especially useful for high-stress professions like dentistry, the place perfectionism is widespread.
Avoid social media comparisons
“Comparability is the thief of pleasure.” — Theodore Roosevelt. Social media is a double-edged sword; it connects us with others but in addition places our colleagues’ achievements on show, usually with out revealing what number of struggles they confronted alongside the way in which. This creates a distorted actuality the place we examine our behind-the-scenes to others’ spotlight reels.
Whereas social media provides alternatives for networking {and professional} progress, the curated perfection seen on-line can result in unrealistic expectations and emotions of inadequacy, contributing to emphasize, imposter syndrome and burnout. To keep away from these poisonous results, it’s essential to strategy social media mindfully. Mirror in your journey and acknowledge your distinctive challenges and milestones with out evaluating them to others’. Your path is uniquely yours, and any progress you make is noteworthy.
Ditch the thought of good
Perfectionism usually does extra hurt than good. It will probably trigger profession stagnation, drive self-deprecating ideas and foster imposter syndrome, all within the curiosity of making one thing unattainable: perfection. In case your objectives at all times really feel out of attain, take time to reevaluate and probably dial them again to the realm of realism. Keep in mind, whereas perfection is an phantasm, excellence is one thing tangible to try for. Reshape your notion, embrace your imperfections and see how excellence, not perfection, is the true path to skilled and private achievement.
By understanding the perfectionist mindset and implementing these methods, we will rework our strategy to dentistry. Embrace progress and self-compassion to seek out achievement in our achievements, and benefit from the journey towards excellence with out the burden of perfectionism.
