I am a perfectionist, to my own detriment. This shows up when I am alone, preparing for work, and when my own head plays tricks on me. The inner saboteur that exists in all of us uses perfection to hold us accountable and to beat ourselves up.
It sets unattainable standards, tying our self-worth to perceived markers of success. Standards I would never hold anyone else accountable to. I am sure you can relate; my own brain can be hostile.
Yet, when it comes to helping other people, I have found that I give out the same advice over and over; it does not have to be perfect it just needs to be good enough.
Now as I type that, I can see that it could be perceived as a little bit of a cop-out, a half arsing, phoning it in, and I am here to say that is not the case.
When I was coaching TEDXTeesside speakers, I worked hard to help the speakers no longer feel trapped by the pursuit of perfection and instead help them see that being good enough is better than perfect.
Perfection stops us from doing our best because our best would never be good enough (that was a direct quote from my inner saboteur), and so we freeze up. When we strip back perfection, of a gold-plated ideal, we begin to let in flexibility, humility, and possibilities.
Good enough is better than perfect because good enough is human. Good enough allows us to enjoy the task at hand, regardless of the perceived reaction. Good enough is so much better than attaining perfection that your brain may never let you achieve.
I say this because there will always be something, someone, or specific conditions that stop you from feeling fully fulfilled. Good enough, on the other hand, will allow you to celebrate the high points, enjoy the moment, and actually grow from circumstances.
Good enough is a gateway to less angst, more pleasure, and a better relationship with self-worth outside of perceived ‘success’. It separates what you do from who you are.
In short, good enough is good enough.
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