It’s the middle of January and most new resolutions have already met their demise. It’s true. The life expectancy of New Year’s resolutions is a shocking 9%. Did you catch that? Only nine percent of resolutions remain intact by the end of the year, and 45% are a dead end by the end of January. Well, no surprise there! A quick look at our own lives proves those statistics might be generous. It’s mid-January and I haven’t hit the gym yet!
Most of us settle for a life of just being good enough. But let me ask you—Is good enough ever really good enough? Let’s answer that question with a few examples:
- You’re making chocolate chip cookies and forget to put in the vanilla. Oh well, they’re not YUM-MO, but good enough. After all, they’re just cookies. Sorry, but they just aren’t the same without the vanilla. Was good enough good enough?
- It’s the bottom of the ninth and the game is tied. You stride to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. You slam a ball to right field four feet short of the wall and suddenly it’s the end of the inning. Oh well, it was a well hit ball and it wasn’t a strikeout. Sorry, but a well hit ball will never be a grand slam. Was good enough good enough?
- You’re taking the SATs and hoping for a good scholarship, but you were out late last night and you just aren’t as sharp as you need to be. You score a solid 83% and most colleges drool over good solid applicants. Sorry, but there are no full rides awarded for 83%, and that extra money may be a deal breaker. Was good enough good enough?
Let’s be honest: It’s that less than magical time in January when resolutions begin to fade away. Like old snow lining the curb in queer gray mounds of shoveled residue, resolutions have lost their shiny appeal. Why is that?
Creating a new habit from sheer will power is always hard to do. Pundits suggest four reasons why New Year’s resolutions fade away.
- They have been worded poorly (too broad or too vague).
- They require no accountability. (Who’s holding your feet to the fire?)
- There is no expiration date on the effort. (It feels like for-EVer.)
- There is no measurable way to quantify success. (You get tired of waiting for the trumpets to sound.)
None of us are quarterbacks or scholars, but nevertheless others depend on us. A simpler and more effective way to measure life results from applying the old maxim Good enough will never be good enough. The new you that you hoped for can still become a reality by just measuring each effort by this simple sentence. When you are replenishing stock and think, Oh, it’s not that dusty. I think it’s good enough, STOP! Take an extra minute to swipe the shelf clean.
When you arrive late and there’s a line at customer service and think, Oh, what’s important is that I do the work, not that I check in. Just restocking the shelf is good enough this time around. STOP! Remember that the home office depends on your report of just who to contact when there is an issue in moving product. Take an extra couple minutes to wait in line and get that manager’s name.
When you plan to visit a store, dash out and discover part way there that you left your phone on the kitchen counter with no way to take pictures, there is a tendency to think, Oh well, what’s important is actually doing the work, not pictures. It’s good enough this time. STOP! Realize the client can withhold payment if there isn’t a picture, and you still want to be paid, right? Take the time to go back and get your camera.
The new buzz words in self-help these days are “you’re enough.” It’s enough to meet a minimal standard. It’s enough to just try. It’s enough to be you so you’ll never be left feeling inadequate. But is that true or just easy on the ears? None of us will ever be considered GOATs, probably not at anything measured in money or success. But do you know where GOATs can always be found? Inside us when we have done a really good job.
The new buzz words in self-help these days are “you’re enough.” It’s enough to meet a minimal standard. It’s enough to just try. It’s enough to be you so you’ll never be left feeling inadequate. But is that true or just easy on the ears? None of us will ever be considered GOATs, probably not at anything measured in money or success. But do you know where GOATs can always be found? Inside us when we have done a really good job.
Is there ever a time when good enough is good enough? Let’s think. When a receiver catches two out of three passes, but misses the one in the end zone during the playoffs? No. When a surgeon extracts a tumor but fails to ask for a sponge count before closing the wound? That’s a hard no. When you’re playing fetch and the dog runs back without the ball? Well, okay. So…which scenario do you want to insert yourself into?
Me? I’d rather not be the dog. I’d rather leap into 2025 as the best possible version of myself. My circle of GOAT appreciation may be small, but it nevertheless satisfies the soul. And so I say, good enough is never good enough.
