Standards and Contentment

Do you want a life that achieves high standards...or contentment?

The leaders we tend to admire have at least one thing in common: they hold themselves to very high standards. From the exercise routines of athletes to the diets and skin care regimens of models to the 24-7 work and perfectionism of business leaders, climbing to the heights of success clearly requires substantial work and dedication. 

While I see the value of high standards, hard work and dedication, there is one unintended consequence that worries me: discontentment. I respect a drive for excellence, but at the same time, never being satisfied and always striving for more isn’t how I’d describe ‘the good life.’ Conceptually I want both high standards AND contentment...but I’ve come to see that I regularly need to choose. My broader goal is a life to be characterized by peace, fullness and contentment, and achieving that requires regularly stepping off the hamster wheel of ever-higher standards. How have you been able to balance these goals?