Perfectionism vs. Burnout: When is Good Enough Really Good Enough?

A friend of mine told me recently that she has adopted the saying, “Good enough,” as a sort of mantra to describe her progress on work projects. It enables her to move forward on tasks and let go of the tyranny of perfectionism.

In the abstract, this should be liberating. Yea! This post, for example, doesn’t have to be perfect, right? It just needs to be “good enough” to get a point across and start a conversation going. However, it’s not that easy, is it? How do we ever know what actually is good enough? What seems at first like a cry of freedom, may end up feeling like an insult. After all, who among us wants to settle for good enough? Is it “settling,” or lowering our standards to declare something is good enough? Does it mean we are letting go of unnecessary, self-imposed pressure, or are we simply giving up?

Perhaps the answer lies in our enthusiasm for what we are doing. Are we striving for excellence, and giving up our perfectionism in a healthy way, or are we so burned out that we don’t even care about the “good” part anymore and cry, “Enough!” as in “Enough already. Let me out of here?” I think we generally know the difference. It’s a matter of energy. Does this thing I’m doing fill me up with passionate energy—or drain it out of me? Next time you say, “Good enough,” ask yourself where is your energy and enthusiasm.

Connie DiStasi Hillman, LICSW
Life and Career Coach
New Leaf Coaching
http://www.newleafcoachingonline.com