Of Being a Perfectionist & an All-rounder... At the Same Time

There is a saying which goes, "In life, it would benefit one to learn something about everything, and everything about something". Ever since my secondary school years, I've aspired to strive for excellence in all and every aspect of my life. Even now, many close family members and friends would agree that my personality encompasses two very prominent traits... The perfectionist and the all-rounder. Don't get me wrong, or pass this off as simple naivety. I know I am not perfect, nor will I ever be. Still, I wanted to be good in everything I came across. No, allow me to correct myself. I wanted to be the BEST in everything I did. I wanted to be better than anyone else academically. I wanted to work hard to acquire that buff physique that most jocks possess that I could be proud of. I wanted to be good in every sport I could lay my hands on. I wanted to be well-liked and popular. I knew for a fact that all my needs (NOT wants) were met because my family was a pretty well-to-do one financially. I wanted to be 'invincible' emotionally; to never let the small things in life bug me, or allow other people to put me down. I wanted to learn and, if possible, master the piano, guitar and drums. And last but not least, I wanted to be rooted in the Word of God so I could live out my life for Him and that others would see His influence on my life.

Perhaps it was the 'kiasu' mentality that had stuck to my psyche ever since I picked up and read those Singapore-syllabus-based Science and Mathematics textbooks back in primary school. Or maybe it was the continuous motivation from my parents that kept ringing in my head telling me to do my best during ongoing tests and exams; and that healthy competition among my peers was a good thing. At the same time, it reminded me of a truth that many parents neglect to tell their children... the simple reminder that both my parents believed in me and wanted to see me excel, but more importantly, that they loved me all the same no matter what the outcome was. My parents never had to nag me to study, because I would be self-motivated to do the things that needed doing. Whatever it was, I could never remember a time when I actually suffered academically, or failed any paper in a major exam. Just recently, I was reminded of how blessed I am for having such loving and caring parents. After hearing descriptions of the tense family situations that some of my close friends face at home, I can truly say that I am grateful and thankful to the Lord for giving me such wonderful parents.

Thank you Mum & Dad!

For always being there for me...
For loving and caring for me so wholeheartedly...
For guiding and showing me the difference between right and wrong...
For being patient with me...
For giving me advice when I needed it...
For rebuking me when I did something wrong or unacceptable...
For punishing me so I would not repeat the same mistakes...
For teaching me humility and selflessness... and most importantly,
For believing in me!

I love you both very much!

Of course, I would not have done it or made it this far if it were not for the grace of God in my life. For that, I am eternally thankful to my personal Lord & Saviour, Jesus Christ, who has given me a purpose, a hope, and a destiny. All glory be to our Lord God Almighty!

Forgive me for digressing. As mentioned above, I am very much, or at least try to be, both a perfectionist and an all-rounder at the same time. However recently, I've been pondering. Is it possible to be both a perfectionist and an all-rounder in the vast field of medicine? Maybe I can't be both at the same time. Maybe what I need is a paradigm shift of some sort. At this point, it is probably wise to give you an example by relating this to the medical field so you can see where I am coming from and gain a better understanding of the point I'm trying to make here. In almost all cases, a doctor who is a specialist is said to have perfected everything there is to know in his or her chosen field of specialty. Naturally over long periods of time, specialists would be less competent in other fields, and in some cases, if uninformed or unaware, know nothing about some very new sub-specialties. How then can this doctor be an all-rounder? Likewise on the contrary, a General Practitioner (or GP) is someone who professes to be good at, or know a lot about, medicine as a whole. Is it humanly possible, for a GP to be perfect in his or her knowledge about everything?

Do you see my dilemma? Do you NOW see why there is a problem here? In the future as I advance in my career, do I have to select between being either a perfectionist or an all-rounder, or can I have the luxury of being both?

Anyway, those are just my thoughts. Whatever the case, I am still learning, as always. =)

Soli Deo Gloria.

~Tim~