“Art is never finished, only abandoned” – attributed to Leonardo da Vinci
A Weird Hobby
How’s this for a unique hobby? I make high-end vacuum tube hi-fi equipment. And when I say “high-end,” I mean serious craftsmanship—equipment that competes with systems priced in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. These systems blend modern electronics with vintage vacuum tubes, some dating back to World War I.
I was drawn to this hobby for several reasons. I love music and am fascinated by how technology can reproduce it so authentically it feels alive. I love science, and while electronics differ from my background in medicine and biotechnology, the discipline lets me apply my mind to solve intricate technical problems. Assembling these devices is meditative. Most of all, this hobby connects me to the sense of purpose I had in my previous life as a surgeon.
Watching my first kidney transplant is a memory I’ll never forget. There is one glorious moment when you have done all the hard work to remove the old kidney, connect the new organ to the vascular supply, and the clamps were released allowing blood to flow into the newly transplanted organ. The kidney literally comes to life, functioning right before your eyes. Similarly, after hours of designing, fabricating, and assembling vacuum tube amplifiers, there’s a moment when I plug it in. Electrons flow, tubes light up, and music spills forth. The amplifier comes alive, with its unique voice—hopefully a musical one!
This hobby, like most of life, offers endless opportunities for tweaking and improvement. Every circuit component affects the sound, and fine-tuning their interactions can be an endless rabbit hole. Yet I’ve learned to declare a project finished—not flawless, but complete and satisfying. Contrary to da Vinci’s sentiment, I’ve found comfort in effort that feels “perfectly imperfect.”
Moving Beyond “Good Enough” to Appreciation
Many of us Type-A individuals (yes you, trolling LinkedIn for evermore nuggets of wisdom) resonate with da Vinci’s view. We chase excellence in our creative pursuits—whether a painting, a recipe, software code, or a business case. Yet, we often fear our work isn’t “good enough,” or we push ourselves to perfect it further. Sometimes, this perfectionism paralyzes us, leaving projects incomplete or worsened by over-iteration.
Acknowledging when something is “good enough” is hard. Truly appreciating our work is even harder. This has been a foreign concept for me, but I’ve recently made progress (shout-out to my executive coach!). It takes intentional effort to step back, reflect, and value what we’ve created.
The Judeo-Christian creation story offers a beautiful model for this mindset. In Genesis, creation unfolds in cycles: a command (“let there be…”), a creative act (light, land, plants), and observation (“God saw that it was good”). On the sixth day, after completing everything, “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” Then came rest. This story shows a God who works deliberately, appreciates the fruits of His labor, and rests purposefully.
How might we follow this example? We can learn to deliberately appreciate our efforts and give ourselves permission to rest.
Appreciation
Stepping back to admire our own work can feel self-serving, but it’s not. Pride in our accomplishments—paired with satisfaction and affirmation of the creative act—is healthy and vital. Here’s a few suggestions on how to cultivate appreciation in our work:
- Pause and reflect: Take time to recognize the value you’ve created before rushing to the next task.
- Be intentional: Approach your work with purpose and care, focusing on quality rather than speed or quantity.
- Accept imperfection: Understand that “good” doesn’t mean “perfect.” Your work can be meaningful and valuable even if it has room for growth.
- Celebrate increments: Appreciate progress at every stage, not just at major milestones. We can pause, reflect, and recognize the value that we’ve created instead of moving quickly from one task to another.
Rest as a Holistic Practice
Rest is essential, but true rest is more than just physical downtime. I believe it’s holistic. Rest encompasses appreciation, separation from work, fulfillment, completeness, and thankfulness.
A deeper sense of rest often comes from excelling in work that suits you. I think a greater rest is achievable by excellence in a job that suits you, and thereby you find a sense of fulfillment in doing something that you were meant to do. (If you haven’t yet, check out my essay on finding work that fits your personality.) If you are fortunate enough to find a great fitting job, then the end of every work day you should find a sense of fulfillment, even if your role involves projects that don’t find completion for months or years.
Holistic rest also involves caring for your intellect, emotions, and spirit—not just your body. This could explain why vacations often leave us feeling exhausted; we focus on physical detachment but neglect mental or spiritual rejuvenation.
Finally, thankfulness is the cornerstone of true rest. The Sabbath in the Judeo-Christian tradition wasn’t actually about commemorating creation—it was established as a reminder that God’s people were rescued from slavery by God’s mighty hand. God’s people were commanded to celebrate their liberation and express gratitude for blessings beyond human effort. While we may not all have dramatic stories of deliverance, most of us enjoy privileges we didn’t entirely earn. Gratitude shifts our perspective on work and rest, allowing us to find peace in both.
Closing Thoughts
Thank you for reading this essay. I hope it has inspired you to reflect on satisfaction, excellence, and rest in your work. Stay tuned for the final installment in this series on finding joy in work—it’s been a pleasure to share this journey with you.