I desire so much to so many things. Work, projects, travel, spend time with family and do this pet of mine here. It is absolutely astounding to me how much I have to do all of my own doing. Next thing you know it is weeks if not months later and even though I’ve gotten a ton of things done some of my most desired pets sit idle nagging me about their priority eight or ten position on my To Do List. Desire meet time. Time is not friend to desire nor me for that matter. I never have enough, never get enough done and it seems that a few of the things I really want to do just don’t make it up my list for very long.
Don’t get me wrong I live a very busy and fulfilling life. My work, my family and friends are all very rich. What I accomplish each year is a mountain of effort and successes. Life is GOOD. But for a guy with my problem, never good enough. My desire for something better kicks my can almost daily. We’ve heard it said that, “good enough is the enemy of great.” I can roll with this but there is a point. A point at which good enough is too much and also a point at which good enough is not satisfactory.
The examples I have are personal experience. One time I was doing this tile job for a customer way, way back. He was ecstatic about the job, just thrilled. He was telling how so and how happy he was. Then at once he turned and says to me, ” what do you think”. I replied, in all of my youth and ignorance, “yeah, it’s OK”. He proceeds to quiz me on my response wherein I explain the two things that I’m not happy about but that I did what I could in those situations. He begins to chastise me because one of the blemishes in my work that I brought up was under the dishwasher. There is no value in a ‘perfect’ job under the dishwasher, therefore good enough has copious amounts of latitude. Not only will a homeowner never see under their dishwasher, the next person is likely to be a plumber, what does he care about tile? Needless to say he schooled me well that day.
Another time I hired a guy to do some roofing work at one of my rentals and he came and did ‘good enough’. The job was passable, the price was acceptable and I was able to move on from the problem. But for me a bur in my saddle, you see, he charged by the hour plus materials. His 6 or 8 hours was fine, but the materials list included things he should have thought to bring along like an extension cord! As I recall I paid the guy 50 bucks for something that he should have as a contractor. Good enough, not really. But that’s my problem; I wonder how many extension cords does this guy have; how many new jobs does he do this with, did it go in the trash; I bought it, why didn’t he leave it.
My desire to move on made me realize that good enough is in fact good enough when your future is as bright as mine and the past is a place to remember not linger. Getting down the road must be a priority, not going back to check potholes or a tile with a cut edge under and appliance. I do believe in excellence by all means, but being Great is really, really, really relative!!! Most of the people I know look at my life and don’t want the work, stress, weariness, etc. Life is great for them when it is devoid of these things. Life is great even though they will never possess my assets, bank account or free time.
I think most people’s desire gets reduced early on in life to meet their interest in time. “If I look down the way and see ‘hard, grief, heartache’ I’ll just be moving on, thank you.” Not realizing all of these things are a part of life in general and avoiding them is relative. The avoidance creates its own set of troubles, similar if not exactly as moving toward them.
My desire to get the most out of life has taught me that good enough gets me there sooner and that being great is a compilation of good enoughs. The more good enoughs I pile up the greater it is. Therefore my life is over flowing and full of blessings and hope. My desire to build this organization and meet my tribe never fades, and each day that I can put another good enough together and move down the road, the sooner I will get to the place where I can work on this all the more. But until then my desires will duke it out with my time until the day when once again I will be triumphant and shout, ” what a ride”!
Force your desires to fight it out with your time, there is greatness in that I am certain! Shoot for the moon!