You Can’t Find Peace in the Excitement of Chasing Improvement

A common argument within the mind of a perfectionist tends to be one that argues the merits of chasing perfection. However, even one of the Chinese founders of Taoism, Laozi, says this about the urge to keep perfecting: "Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt. Chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench. Care about people's approval and you will be their prisoner. Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity." When you focus all of your effort into chasing perfection, you end up chasing the unachievable into failure. Your efforts sabotage you in a way, and the end product collapses. It is important to know when to stop in order to see that you’ve already achieved your goals. The high achiever will rarely ever acknowledge perfect before them, because improvement excites them in a way. But peace isn’t found in the excitement. It is found in slowing down and reflecting upon what you have created, resting your eyes in the beauty of what is.

"Fill your bowl to the brim and it will spill. Keep sharpening your knife and it will blunt. Chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench. Care about people's approval and you will be their prisoner. Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity."

~ Laozi