The Worst Enemy of Best is Good Enough
Being an in progress and improving perfectionist, this lesson is one I love to lean on when I am really convicted in something. It reminds me that it is OK to strive for greatness, not be satisfied, push past limits and the conventional wisdom, and work to create something great.
To me, good enough is what happens when you compromise. You start with something ambitious, but then you hit a roadblock. Maybe it’s time, maybe it’s resources, maybe it’s just fatigue. And instead of pushing through, you settle. After all, what you have isn’t bad. It’s good enough.
The problem is, good enough usually stays that way. Once you’ve settled, the urgency to improve is gone. You’ve built something passable, so why bother making it great?
This mindset is the enemy of progress.
What separates great work from everything else is the willingness to reject what’s merely good.
This doesn’t mean being reckless or chasing perfection for its own sake. It means holding out for ideas or solutions that genuinely excite you. The ones you can’t stop thinking about.
The hardest part isn’t finding the best option. It’s refusing to stop at good enough. It’s uncomfortable to walk away from something that already works. But the cost of settling is higher than it seems.
Over time, good enough becomes mediocre. And mediocre gets ignored or passed by.
Lesson Learned: If you want to do or deliver something great, you must fight the urge to settle. Good enough is easy. But the best things—whether they’re new services, ideas, or experiences—come from refusing to compromise.