Good enough comes in different forms. For example;
- Yeah it’s not great but the salary is really high!
- We did/got what you wanted, isn’t that good enough?
- This bit was fine, so don’t worry about that crappy part over there.
Good enough can be a missing or dismissal of the point. It can be an unwelcome settling for something. It can become a yearning for more. Good enough can be a diversion or denial. Good enough can be a form of control. It can even be an insult; it’s good enough for now… but I can do better later!
If I catch myself repeating “So tell me again...” this is an indicator of good enough; not bad enough to hold my attention, yet somehow unconvincing or unresolved so it sticks in my mind like a question.
If a washing machine gets the clothes clean its good. If it takes 2 hours, is very noisy and the clothes take a long time to dry its good enough, for now. Good enough means repair or replacement is somewhere around the corner… Good enough is not always the final destination; it’s often a temporary resting place before moving on.
Life isn’t perfect and it’s beneficial to acknowledge all that is good in our lives and what enough is. When we acknowledge what is good enough alongside all that, we can take steps to improve, change and learn. We don’t need to take those steps in a hurry or all at once, it’s not as bad as all that, but we want to get to good eventually, don’t we?
What’s good enough for you right now?
- Is your health ‘good enough’ considering your age?
- Is your job ‘good enough’ because it’s better than the last one?
- Is spending one evening together every couple of weeks ‘good enough’ as you’re so busy?
Now consider what would be good.
What would it take to get from good enough to good, really good or great? It might not take as much effort as maintaining and repairing something that is good enough…for now...
Kim
Co-founder, The Clean Sheet