When You Don't Get Things Right at Work

When I don't get things right at work, I react in one of two ways: either I just laugh at myself and try again; or, I get really frustrated at "the world" and get grumpy. Fortunately the former happens more than the latter - although it wasn't always so.

Always being right didn't come in the package when I was delivered by my Mom with the help of her doctor years ago. I've learned this over time. Frankly, it took a while.

But once I figured out that I'm not perfect, and that I won't always get things right, I got into this thing where I would take forever to make a decision. I figured I needed all this extra time to get things just so because I knew there was this chance I wouldn't get things right. I think I was suffering from being a perfectionist.

Then I learned that this perfectionist thing not only can drive you crazy, but it isn't really a Catholic way of working. Here's what I learned.

Everything that occurs can only occur by God’s will.  We abandon ourselves to God’s will because that is, indeed reality.  The sane mind understands this.

Okay, so how does that change how I work? Well, you can start by praying that God sends you the grace to know His Will and then to do His Will. It's a good prayer, but there's a problem: How exactly to you know what God's Will really is?

Let's say you're working right now and you want to do God's Will. Are you doing His Will right now, this very moment, in whatever you're doing? Probably you're not sure. So now what? Do you just stop what you're doing? Of course not. Do you just forge ahead and keep working and ignore whether it's God's Will or not, just because you're not sure it's His Will?

I suppose you could do that, but that's not what you really want to do, is it - just give up on doing His Will, just because you can't really know for sure that you're doing His Will. Is it? So how about you try this approach.

First, get rid of all your pride. Forget about what you know or don't know. I just figure I'm a bumbler a lot of the time. I know I have no idea whether what I'm doing right now is God's work. But not just that, I know I'm far from perfect. And in spite of how hard I try, I make dumb mistakes, say dumb things - things I have to make up for later. So I've really got to get my ego out of the way, best I can.

Get your ego out of this best you can.

Then, just focus on what you're doing right at this moment - whatever that work is. Pray, maybe something like this:

“I have prayed and have the right intention: therefore God will be satisfied with the stupid things I do or say, as He knows I cannot do better.”  And then, over time, our imperfect acts and words prove to be curiously effective, as if by accident, even while we feel and appear foolish and humble.

We never really know what God’s will is going to be; we do know what it is at this moment – because it is this moment.  Think about how effectively this keeps our pride and ego at bay.  See how our humility is increased.  In our foolishness, incompetence, and humility, we cling ever more to Our Lord.  We will walk on water if we keep our gaze locked onto the eyes of Christ.  Keep the gaze.  And just let him steer as we keep peddling.

Of course, we've got to be “men of action” as well as men of prayer. 

One thing to watch out for when you get your ego out of the way and get all humble and stop thinking that everything you do is wonderful and all that is you can't lose your confidence and your ability to act. You can't let yourself slip into being indecisive just because you no longer think that your decision is great and perfect.

So don’t give in to indecision.  After we have had sufficient time, advice, and prayer, we must choose what we think best for the common good. The saints themselves were doers and did not take refuge in indecision or fear of failure.  Make those spur of the moment decisions we must make from time to time, even if there is no time for prayer beforehand.  …St. Paul said, all things will work together for the good, mistakes and wrong decisions included, and as St. Augustine adds, even sins.

Will this approach make your work more perfect, more successful? Maybe. But that's not what matters here.

Whether all this leads to success or failure, in worldly terms, think of this: Those of the Old Testament measured God’s pleasure with material success, which was how God actually dealt with them, but often (not always) it is exactly the opposite for us in the new dispensation. God’s greatest gifts are crosses and trials. This is how He treats his friends, which is one reason why he has so few, as St. Teresa of Avila observed.

So if you don't always get things right at work, join the club.

Now, get back to work.