Finding Balance: Striving for Excellence vs. Embracing Good Enough
A Personal Journey in Understanding the Balance of Aspiration and Self-Compassion
In this blog post, I will share my thoughts and experiences on how to navigate the delicate balance between striving for excellence and embracing what is good enough. Drawing from personal experiences and knowledge gained from others, I hope you find these reflections valuable, whether you're a leader in pursuit of excellence, someone seeking balance in life, or just interested in personal growth.
As a CEO, I face this challenge every day. Whether it's building a positive company culture, planning our marketing strategies, managing inventory, developing our team, or handling performance reviews and people tasks, the question always arises - when should I aim for excellence, and when should I consider 'good enough' as sufficient?
As we grow personally and professionally, we encounter the challenge of balancing our pursuit of excellence with accepting what is good enough. This challenge is particularly intense for leaders, who face high-pressure decisions with significant impacts. Let's navigate this journey together and discover how to excel while embracing self-compassion.
Defining the Spectrum
Let's begin by defining what I mean by 'Striving for Excellence' and 'Good Enough.' These two phrases represent different ends of a spectrum, and understanding them is key to finding our balance.
'Striving for Excellence' is about pushing for the highest possible standards. It's the pursuit of the best, the ideal, and the most impressive outcomes. '
'Good Enough' recognizes the reality of constraints and embraces practicality. It's about accepting that while there is always room for improvement, not every task requires us to go above and beyond. Sometimes, achieving a goal to an acceptable standard within a limited timeframe is a win in itself.
So how do we determine when to aim for which end of the spectrum? It helps to understand where our tasks and responsibilities lie in relation to our passion, strengths, and desired impact.
When we aim for excellence, we should focus on tasks that align with our passions, strengths, and desired impact. In other areas, it's okay to embrace a "good enough" approach. It's important to understand that not every task requires the same level of dedication and perfection, and that's okay. It's not a compromise or a failure, but a way to prioritize and be practical.
The Balance Act
Finding the right balance between striving for excellence and accepting good enough is a crucial skill for leaders. It's not about sacrificing quality or lowering standards, but about maximizing the return on investment of our time and resources. By making efficient choices, we can achieve the best results while also safeguarding our well-being and preventing burnout.
In my role as a CEO, I've identified areas where I consistently aim for excellence. These include building and maintaining a positive company culture, shaping our business vision and strategies, defining our organizational structure, and developing our people. It's essential to ensure that expectations are clearly set and aligned throughout the company, enabling everyone to perform at their best.
This said, I must emphasize that I am still navigating this path. My understanding of what belongs in each bucket continues to evolve, and I am constantly learning, refining my approach, and applying these insights into practice. This balance is not a static state, but an ongoing process of growth, reflection, and adjustment.
The Practical Approach
Navigating the path from striving for excellence to accepting what is 'good enough' requires a practical approach. Over the years, I've found that employing certain strategies can help to make this journey more manageable.
Take a one-on-one coaching session, for example. In the beginning, I felt the need to meticulously prepare for each session, spending hours anticipating every possible scenario. But as time went on, I learned a better approach. I realized that coaching wasn't about having all the answers; it was about listening, supporting, and asking the right questions. This shift in mindset allowed me to approach sessions with less pressure and more ease. The preparation became lighter, and the 'good enough' approach felt like a natural fit.
This 'Just Do It' mindset is closely linked to effective time management and scheduling. Being aware of the deadlines and setting realistic timeframes for the completion of tasks can greatly aid in deciding where to aim for excellence and where 'good enough' will suffice. For instance, when there is a tight deadline, it may be more practical to aim for 'good enough,' complete the task effectively, and move on to the next.
To manage my time effectively, I use a method called 'timeboxing.' This approach involves allocating a specific amount of time to each task, such as dedicating an hour for brainstorming or developing a presentation. It helps break down tasks into manageable chunks and encourages mindful time management. By setting time limits, I prevent myself from spending excessive time on one activity and push myself to find more efficient ways to accomplish each task. This practice also promotes a sense of satisfaction when tasks are completed within the allocated time, maximizing the return on investment for my efforts.
Along with timeboxing, another strategy that has proven effective for me is what I call 'head starter planning.' Once I've identified a meeting's purpose and the outcome I want to drive, I go ahead and schedule it on my calendar. This act of scheduling makes it real, creating a commitment to myself and others that I intend to follow through on.
However, one caveat with this approach is the potential to overestimate my ability and underestimate the time required to complete tasks. This is where timeboxing can come in handy again, helping to keep my scheduling realistic and prevent over-commitment.
The Power of Self-Compassion
Reflecting on the journey I've taken so far as a CEO, I've increasingly realized the importance of self-compassion. It hasn't always been easy. There have been moments of self-doubt, over-commitment, and the occasional feeling of being overwhelmed. But, by acknowledging these feelings and showing myself kindness, like I would to a close friend, I've learned to balance between striving for excellence and accepting good enough.
Self-compassion, with its gentle nature, may seem soft at first, but it's extraordinarily empowering. Self-compassion has shown me that being kind to myself makes me stronger. It helps me face tough situations more calmly, hold high standards without overloading myself, and handle things with a lighter, fun attitude. This gentle approach changes stress into strength.
Self-compassion means knowing it's okay not to be perfect all the time. This is freeing. We can try new things, learn from our errors, and keep growing without worrying too much about failing or not always reaching our high goals.
Self-compassion has a few main parts: being kind to ourselves, knowing we're not alone in our struggles, and keeping a balanced mind. Each part could fill its own blog post. We'll explore these more in future posts
For now, though, let's remember the power of being gentle with ourselves. As we navigate our lives, both personally and professionally, remember this: "Be gentle with yourself, you're doing the best you can."
Self-compassion isn't just about being kind when we mess up. It's about being kind always, letting ourselves learn, grow, and enjoy our journey
To wrap it up
Throughout this journey of leadership and self-discovery, I've realized that the balance between 'striving for excellence' and 'good enough' is not about giving up or settling for less, but about being compassionate and understanding towards ourselves. It's about knowing when to push for excellence and when to accept that what we've done is good enough.
As we conclude, I encourage you to reflect on your journey. Consider your own balance between 'striving for excellence' and 'good enough.' Think about how you can incorporate more self-compassion into your approach.
Here are some key takeaways:
Remember, it's not always about striving for perfection but about achieving a balance.
Use the 'Just Do It' mindset to overcome overthinking and over-planning.
Practice the practical approach by dividing your tasks into manageable parts and timeboxing.
Start small, schedule tasks, and commit to making them happen.
Self-compassion is powerful - be gentle with yourself, as you're doing the best you can.
Embrace the power of gentleness - it can turn stress into strength.
Remember to take a step back, reflect, and adjust as needed. It's not about perfection, but about growth, progress, and above all, self-compassion. As we navigate our lives, both personally and professionally, let's keep reminding ourselves to be kind, not just when we stumble, but always “be gentle with yourself, you're doing the best you can."
