Good enough.
As well as being a catchy Britpop song, it’s a phrase that came up in conversation recently. And got me thinking. On its own “good enough” isn’t always quantifiable. It’s subjective. An opinion.
But we can use it to help guide our actions.
- We can tell ourselves something is “good enough” to complete a task, free up time and move on to something else. Recognise that minimum requirements have been met for this current situation and we can feel content about it.
- And we can use it to challenge ourselves. Are we satisfied with “good enough” with this task or in this situation? In some situations we can feel pride by improving beyond a satisfactory level. Knowing we have it in ourselves to do more.
Both valid uses.
My realisation is that it’s important to pause every so often and ask ourselves an important question:
Are we doing the things that will help us get from where we are now to where we want to be in the future?
You might ask yourself a few follow-up questions:
- Have my priorities changed?
- Where do I want to be in 5 years time?
- What do I need to stop doing now in order to free up more time to do the right things?
- How will my actions impact others around me?
- If I continue doing what I am doing now, will I be content?
Knowing what the right things are is easier said than done. There can be lots of factors to consider. Lots of other people to think about. Lots of unknown unknowns. Sometimes we just need to dedicate time to thinking things through. Sometimes it might take us time to figure out what we really want. Talking to someone else can help get the ball rolling.
If there are things that are weighing you down and holding you back, then just taking the first step may help you feel lighter.
If you’d like to find out how a coach can support you through this process, then email me: wayne@palmatumcoaching.com. We can have a free and confidential conversation to figure out what the next steps look like for you.