Good Enough!

In a world that often champions the mantra of 'be the best at everything,' there lies an underestimated and powerful concept I call the 'good enough' principle. This idea, simple yet profound, can reshape how I approach many things in life and success and productivity.

The Art of Strategic Compromise

The 'good enough' principle is rooted in recognizing that we can't optimize everything. I am part of a mastermind that has 6 Pillars: Authentic Relationships, Genuine Contributions, Bucket List Adventures, Age-Defying Health, Extreme Accountability, and Horizontal Income (aka Passive Income). Sounds awesome, right? Well, I have to tell you, trying to be great at everything can be daunting. In its essence, life and greatness is a series of trade-offs. Hence, the origins of the name of this newsletter. You trade your time for money, you trade excellence in one area for good enough in others.

The quest for perfection in all areas is not just exhausting; it's downright unrealistic. Instead, we should aim to excel in one or two key areas while allowing ourselves to be 'just good enough' in others.

Take it from some of the most successful people I know. They focus their energies on becoming world-class in specific fields, while in other aspects of their lives or work, they accept that 'good enough' is, indeed, good enough. How I have used this is more so related to focusing on improving one area of my life at a time and maintaining the others at a standard of good enough. This approach isn't about settling for mediocrity but rather about directing your best efforts where they can make the most significant impact.

Making Decisions: Fast and Forward

A critical aspect of strengthening your 'good enough' practice involves decision-making. Often, we stall, hoping to gather more information that might improve our decision. However, if a decision is reversible or carries a low cost, there's immense value in acting quickly. This is also called the one-way or two-way door that Jeff Bezos talks about in his guidance to Amazon employees. It was one of the interesting things I learned from Ryan Stenberg in the Passive Wealth Principles Podcast episode.

Here's how this works: You're 60% sure about a decision and believe that with more information, you could reach 80% certainty. If the decision is low-stakes or easily reversible (aka a two-way door, meaning if you don't like the decision, you can just go back through the door), it's more efficient to decide promptly and adjust as needed. This 'ready, fire, aim' approach can be surprisingly effective, reducing procrastination and enhancing dynamism.

Living the 'Good Enough' Life

Living by the 'good enough' principle doesn't mean you abandon the pursuit of excellence. It means you recognize where excellence is truly needed and where it's okay to be less than perfect. It's about making peace with the fact that sometimes, fast and functional decisions are better than slow and slightly more informed ones. If you ever want to be excellent at something, you have to understand that you have to say no to almost everything else if you want to excel in those few things.

In my journey, I've found that adopting a 'good enough' attitude can be liberating. It has allowed me to focus my energies on what truly matters, make quicker decisions, and, ironically, achieve greater success in the areas I care about most. I have adopted the saying: I am a Family Man with a Business, not a Businessman with a Family.

For me, I will prioritize my family over my business, and if that is my default, then I can lean on the fact that I would rather be excellent with them than an excellent businessman with a subpar family life.

Next Level Hack

But here is the 'who not how' hack that I have learned from much trial and error. Even though I have areas of my life where I have settled for good enough, I have learned that there are people who excel in my weak areas. So, as we navigate the complexities of life and work, let's remember that sometimes, 'good enough' is maybe where you need to hire or contract out that area of your business or life.

As you can leverage other people's time and excellence to help fill the areas that are just good enough for you. This also gives you permission to lean more into the areas that matter most to you in life. Ask yourself, what would it look like if it were easy? Well, it might be that you trade off your good enough's to someone else to handle so you can focus on where you really want your time and effort.

What in your life do you feel could use some good enough treatment?

Until next time,

Jake