Lots of us worry about whether we are good enough, so we strive for perfection, yet almost all of the time, good enough will do. In our heads, we think this is about what other people think, but really, in our hearts, this is up to us.

We’ve all heard of the 80/20 rule or Pareto Principle – 80% of the results come from 20% of the effort. That applies to pretty much everything. I actually think it is even more concentrated than that if you break down that top 20% and apply the rule again! Now you’re getting 64% of the result from 4% of the effort.

Big things grow from small beginnings

Everyone has heard of Dale Carnegie’s ‘How to win friends and influence people’ which has sold over 30 million copies. That started out as a short talk, which became a 90 minute lecture, and then developed into principles and then the book which is an evergreen bestseller. Big things can grow from small beginnings.

OK – easy for him – he’s famous and super successful. I’m not. How to feel like you’re good enough by working out what good enough is for you

Perfection is actually about confidence. The only way to build confidence is by doing something and feeling good about it. You build it up over time.

Remember – perfection is the enemy of progress.

5 ways to decide what good enough is for you

Start with your objective – what do YOU want to achieve here and why? Not other people, you. You’re the one who is the harshest judge. Only do it if it is worth it to you.

Set a goal – not what’s perfect, but what can you live with and by when, add a date to it. For it to be of any value, you need to get it done and out in the world, rather than just sitting somewhere half finished – that’s the brave bit – having a go and accepting it won’t be perfect

Make a start

It’s ok to fail – that’s great learning – growth mindset. Remember – you had a go – that makes you special right there.

Expect to improve it Get feedback and create a 2^nd version, and then a third, if it’s still working, then do a 4^th

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