Hello friends, welcome back!

Where does your value come from?
When was the last time you looked at something you were working on and declared it was “good enough” in a satisfied kind of way?

Our culture doesn’t tend to value or bring up the concept of “good enough.”

I received the concept of “good enough” from Dr. Jaco Hamman while I was in seminary.
[He mostly writes for pastoral ministry, but a great book he wrote where I think “good enough” is one of the underlying concepts is called A Play-Full Life: Slowing Down and Seeking Peace.]

Your interaction with “good enough” likely lies along a spectrum between everything always being good enough and nothing ever being good enough.

When nothing is every good enough, when all you ever see is what you could or should have done better, more of, etc. life is exhausting, can feel impossible, unkind.

When everything is always good enough, when all you ever see is what you’re moving onto next it’s hard to gauge whether the job is really done, let alone how it was done, or learn from situations or see your own growth.

I’m going to play around with language a little; what does “good enough” really mean?
The phrase could be used in many ways, but I mean something more specific. It’s good; not better, best, perfect, not I’m bored or it or it doesn’t matter any more.
Enough; in the realm of finished, acceptable or an ongoing healthy place.

We talked about prioritizing before; it’s hard to do well when everything means everything or when you’re always willing to move on from something without a second thought.
Prioritizing doesn’t mean getting everything good, it will mean cutting things out, making intentional choices, or perhaps changing scope of things on the list for good enough to be a useful lens to look at prioritizing through.

An example where this is important for me is chores around my house. Once I get started it’s hard for me not to do everything little thing which can be so overwhelming I just don’t even get started which is the opposite of useful. Thinking through what’s good enough can help me get some things done without everything having to be done perfectly.

It’s important to allow good enough to have real meaning and value. It doesn’t mean “I don’t care about this anymore,” good enough is a concept to embrace in the areas you do care about while recognizing that you’re human, you have limitations, and will always have areas to improve and grow within.

Where does your value come from?

End of episode coaching question:
How does the concept of “good enough” strike you?

On a spectrum of “I’m done with this” to “It must be perfect!” how do you tend to approach projects or responsibilities in your life?
How could embracing the concept of “good enough” be a powerful addition to your life?