You and I know that “someone” who would waste a major chunk of our time either “getting ready” or making it (whatever that maybe) “just perfect.” Don’t you? If you’ve been listening, I’ve made it pretty clear — the perfection gap is going to make things worse for us. We have to get over it and focus on just getting “good enough.”
It works. And it sure has worked for thousands of people across the world, including me! Now, there comes a time when you will eventually get “good enough.” What do you do then? Continue as it is or push the envelope a little further?
Before I dive into an explanation, I would like to clarify that “getting good enough” is one of the best ways to start. Particularly if you’re pursuing something you haven’t done before or habitually procrastinate. It’s a great strategy to get moving. That said, I wouldn’t recommend you stay “good enough” forever. Even if you’re on the right track.
That reminds me of Will Rogers who once said,
“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just stay there.”
Profound, isn’t it? I think he hit the nail right on the head. Here’s the challenge with staying good enough — you become so mediocre that you refuse to break the standards you’ve set for yourself. You and I know it goes downhill from there.
I think one shouldn’t ever stop pursuing excellence. If you’ve gotten good enough, it’s time to revisit your strategy and see what can you do to get even better. And then you simply rinse and repeat. That’s the only way you rise above the average and become iconic.
One of the reasons why I recommend focusing on the good enough at the beginning is to avoid getting overwhelmed. Because as humans, we all have the tendency to focus on the end result and not the process.
Meaning you would rather dream of becoming a successful entrepreneur than actually think about the work it takes to become one! Heck, some don’t even want to do the work let alone think about the work! They’re fine just dreaming up the millions they’ll one day make when they’re a successful entrepreneur.
You know how the story goes from there.
So, you focus on the smaller chunks that’s doable. And people often struggle doing even that! Which is totally fine, they need the right motivation and guidance to get going. Guess what’s the most effective way? Getting started. Because momentum is a powerful motivator.
As a coach, I definitely wouldn’t want to interrupt that flow by letting the client think about “getting to perfection” or “getting ready” but help them establishing the habits by allowing them to just go-go-go until they get comfortable. It works all the time. The best part is that this initial phase will set a strong foundation for the journey ahead.
Once the habits have been established, you have absolutely no reason to stop but to go further. Why? Because you’ve mastered the basics and staying where you are will simply stagnate your progress. Of course, getting to good enough takes effort and staying there does feel comfortable but we’re not about mediocrity, are we? If we are, weren’t we better off that mind-numbing 9-to-5 job (or whatever)?
It’s a journey. Getting good enough is just the first 100 steps of a 1000 mile journey. We have to go further because that’s how we will grow in life. If not, why even bother dreaming up?