Perfectionism
What it is, how it impacts musicians, and what to do about it: a brief overview
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What is Perfectionism?
One of the most wonderful things about music and music-making is that there is always room for improvement and refinement. Many musicians are constantly striving to reach perfection, or something close. Realistically, perfection is never attainable, but aiming for perfection (perfectionism) can be a valuable tool for motivation and achievement. It also has the potential to be harmful to motivation, achievement, and self-efficacy.
Perfectionism as a concept is extremely multifaceted and has been well-researched. For a long time, the negative impacts of perfectionism and perfectionist tendencies made up the majority of perfectionism research. However, more recent research has focused on the positive aspects of perfectionism and has largely agreed that it can be a tool for success.
This article will define and explore the dimensions of perfectionism, how they may be helpful or unhelpful for musical success, and explore trends of perfectionism in musicians.
Definitions
“A disposition to regard anything short of perfection as unacceptable”
“Demanding of oneself or others a higher quality of performance than is required by the situation.”
“High standards of performance which are accompanied by tendencies for overly critical evaluations of one’s own behavior.”
Adaptive Perfectionism: a dimension of perfectionism where the associated tendencies have a positive impact on experiences and personal wellbeing; sometimes referred to as perfectionist strivings
Maladaptive Perfectionism: a dimension of perfectionism where the associated tendencies have a negative impact on experiences and personal wellbeing; sometimes referred to as perfectionist concerns
Excellencism: the pursuit of high and attainable standards
Extrinsic Motivation: doing something because it leads to a certain outcome; being motivated by an external force or reason
Intrinsic Motivation: doing something without external force because it seems interesting, enjoyable, or helpful
Mindfulness: awareness of one’s internal states or surroundings; learning to observe one’s thoughts, emotions, and other present-moment experiences without judgement or reaction
Self-Compassion: showing compassion, grace, or patience towards yourself in times of struggle or frustration
Perfectionism in Musicians
Quite clearly, musicians have reason to strive for perfection. Many professional and pre-professional musicians are involved in elite levels of artistry and skill and, especially in classical music, there are often “standards” of performance technique and quality that should be met. These standards are often enforced by peers and mentors, but the standard of the audience is often the most motivating factor in exploring excellence and striving for perfection. Obviously, musicians want their performance to meet or exceed the standards of their audience for one reason or another. Their audience members could be the deciding factor of future income, education, or professional connections so the desire to do as well as possible is often quite high. For this reason, perfectionism is common among musicians and is a fairly studied topic.
Several studies around perfectionism in musicians revolve around two different dimensions of perfectionism: adaptive and maladaptive. As the names suggest, adaptive perfectionism is a dimension of perfectionism where strivings for perfectionism have positive, or adaptive, effects on one’s experiences. Maladaptive is the opposite and tendencies of perfectionism have negative, or maladaptive, effects on experiences and personal well-being. The two dimensions are often studied with a relationship to intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. Maladaptive perfectionism is shown to potentially be linked to (and fueled by) extrinsic motivation and motivating factors which, over time, may lead to chronic apathy and eventually burnout. Alternatively, adaptive perfectionism tends to be more linked to intrinsic motivation and has suggested trends of sustainable improvement and engagement over time.
Adaptive perfectionism may look like setting challenging, yet achievable goals, being able to critique yourself without excessive negative criticism, and practicing self-compassion. In musicians that may look like:
Creating a recital program that is encompassing of your strengths while pushing you to also develop and showcase new skills → setting challenging, yet achievable goals
While preparing for this recital program, you record and listen back to your practice sessions consistently. When doing so, you’re able to point out things that went well, as well as things that needed improvement. → balancing positive self-criticism with negative self-criticism
When performances or checkpoints do not go the way you anticipated or did not go as well as you would have liked, you do not get too hard on yourself and allow yourself a break to relax and reflect → practicing self-compassion
Maladaptive perfectionism may look like constant rumination on past mistakes, constant doubting of one’s ability, and an impeding fear of failure. It may be a factor in the development of performance anxiety and, as mentioned previously, eventually lead to burnout through a chronic lack of perceived personal accomplishment. Examples of maladaptive perfectionism in musicians may look like:
An inability to enjoy performances due to the constant focus of past mistakes or the fear of making future mistakes
Extreme performance or practice anxiety due to self-doubt or fear of failure
Feeling unable to “move on” from a piece or program because personal standards of perfectionism are not met
What Can We Do About It?
Alongside maladaptive and adaptive dimensions of perfectionism, another common topic of perfectionism research is the pursuit of excellence, or excellencism. Essentially, excellencism involves a sense of contentment or satisfaction with excellence that maladaptive perfectionism does not embody. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to strive for perfection, as long as you do it mindfully. Setting yourself up for success, both in action and thought, is crucial for maintaining a healthy relationship with perfectionism. This involves developing awareness around:
Your personal strengths and weaknesses so you can plan your path forward accordingly
What motivates you – are there lots of external factors (such as mentor approval or income) or are you doing things with the intent of personal fulfillment or enjoyment?
How you think and treat yourself when you make mistakes
By practicing skills such as mindfulness and self-compassion, it’s possible to turn your desire for perfectionism into a tool for intentional practice and sustainable artistry, rather than a detriment to your art and your wellbeing.
Additional Reading and Material
WORKBOOK: Perfectionism in Perspective
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown (Book)
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This chart is a PDF to help you be mindful of your own perfectionist tendencies. Click here to download. ⚘ ⚘ ⚘
“Understanding the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism is critical to laying down the shield and picking up your life.”
—Brené BrownReferences
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