Balance | Good Enough

This is the third post in this week’s series on Balance.

Perfection is the enemy of balance.

In the pursuit of perfection, one ends up over-committing and mis-managing resources in an aim to reach a point that may not be realistically achievable.

What is the anecdote to perfection? Good enough.

Good Enough is Good Enough

The idea behind good enough is that you have consciously reached the point where you have decided that:

Yes – you could continue to work, and even make improvements to the project.
But – the amount of effort that this work would require is not worth the outcomes that may be achievable, i.e. the point of diminishing returns.
You have considered the reality of the project launching as is, and are comfortable with that reality.
You have considered the potential risks of the project launching as is, and are comfortable with those risks.

The key here is that your decision is made knowing full-well the ramifications of going with good enough. If you call it “good enough,” but then spend time thinking about how you could have made it better, or worrying that it might not be successful, then you are defeating the point of good enough. Good enough exists to help you move on in this busy world. Dwelling defeats this ability.

By reaching the point of good enough through a reasoned, examined decision, you can be comfortable with the status and outcome of your project and focus your energies on something else.

First Times With Good Enough

For people who haven’t used the good enough method before, let me warn you now: the first time with good enough is a bit like your first time with anything else – a little bit exciting, but a little bit nerve-wracking at the same time.

Good enough is not a universal process – it is something that must be carefully considered in each case, because what’s good enough for Project A likely won’t be good enough for Project B. This means that it will take some time to decide if you’ve reached good enough or not, but this time is minimal compared to the amount of time that you’ll save when you do finally reach good enough.

The other thing about good enough is that it can be addictive. Once you start releasing projects as they reach their good enough status, you’ll start to look for the good enough point in other parts of your life. You’ll begin to hone in on knowing when something is good enough, or when it really does need more work. You’ll start to incorporate good enough wherever you can!

Let me warn you now: good enough is a great system for many things, but good enough is not for all things. What things? You’ll know – people generally aren’t afraid to let you know when something really isn’t good enough.

So go forth, and let your projects go forth – when they’re good enough, that is.