How To Know When Good Enough Is Good Enough

Good enough. How to know when good enough is good enough. Historically I have despised the good enough mindset. Drives me a little crazy if I’m being honest. It always felt like accepting the easy way out. To settle. I have never been one to accept or settle what is thrown my way. The mere thought of it bothers me even now. I’ve changed a lot in recent years though. Grown. Evolved perhaps. Matured. I like to think a little wiser, or so I hope. All those wonderful things synonymous with age. Wisdom derived from life experience. So when is good enough good enough? What is the criteria to determine if you’ve reached this milestone in life? Much like the definition of wealth, only the individual relevant to the decision can make that call. But how would someone know? I’m not certain you ever REALLY know, but let’s talk about how to know when good enough is good enough.

Checking Good Enough Boxes

I’ve found myself in a little bit of a situation these days. Thankfully, it’s a wonderful situation to be in, but a situation nonetheless. I’ve reached a stage to where the answer to is good enough good enough appears to be yes. Truth is I’m struggling with it. I have a great job. Work with wonderful folks. Short commute. Make enough. I enjoy what I do and am fortunate to have autonomy in overseeing technology for my organization. It’s fun too. Solid support and funding for the vision. Great benefits. Outstanding time off. A great boss. Awesome coworkers. Good folks all the way around. I can always offer a complaint, but fact is I’ve never had it so good.

One of the oddities I’ve really struggled with in recent years is the risk taking part of my being that led to the gratitude I live with today. It was easy to accept risk when I had nothing to lose. Fast forward 30 years and I consider myself extremely fortunate to have checked off every major box I had for my career, but I also loathe the fact I have had difficulty turning off the aspirational mindset. Perhaps it’s guilt I feel when I tell myself I don’t want to relocate and/or start over in a new role again. Therein lies the problem.

Exercising Good Enough Caution

I have been quoted many times saying I may be the luckiest CIO walking the earth. I’ve also been around the block enough times to know the grass isn’t always greener somewhere else, even as I have never been afraid to find out for myself. I’ve turned down a handful of organizations interested in my services these past few years for various reasons. Financial. Cost of living. Real estate. Cultural vibe. Budgets. My interpretation of how that org truly felt about technology as a key strategic partner. Who IT reports too. Org to IT staff ratios.

I have all kinds of data points to identify where an unknown entity is at with tech. That’s the beauty of experience. There are all these tells right in front of you if you know what to look for. It’s next level stuff gifted from having been there done that. Metrics are a superpower. Data tells a story. It is accurate for those overseeing operational environments, and I find it to be true in life. That’s what I have learned makes an executive. The ability to capture data and make educated decisions that lead to a higher probability of success. As someone that has worked in an executive role several years now, that sentence sums it up best. Knowledge is power as they say.

Good Fortune And Gratitude

So the situation is I’m happy. All the job stuff, career milestones met. Money is fine. I go home for lunch most every day. I play with my dogs and hang with Mrs. Country Exec. I’m home at a decent hour. No burning the candle at both ends save for the occasional work related project or issue. I get to live in small town Texas all while leading technology for one of the fastest growing cities in the country relying heavily on tech to meet the surge in growth. It’s pretty awesome.

Here’s a big one. I paid off my home recently. I haven’t carried debt in many years, but I never considered my mortgage as part of the equation. Now even that is no more. I own my home outright and the acreage it sits on. Talk about gratitude. It was only ten years ago Mrs. Country Exec and I moved back home to Texas. We could never afford to buy a home prior to that. Fast forward a decade and here we are. I’ll never forget how relocating home changed our lives for the better. If anyone ever wonders why I’m a loud and proud good ole boy Texan, that’s why. Texas has been insanely good to me and my family, as such I’m loyal to no end.

When Is Good Enough Good Enough?

So how can we ascertain when good enough is good enough? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. My answer won’t be yours, and yours mine. For me, checking the previously mentioned boxes make it so. Having enough of them checked while feeling as though I am not leaving too much on the table career wise/financially is key.

Balance has become more important than ever in my life. The thought of relocating does not hold the same appeal it once did. I still consider it at times, but my mind immediately drifts to how I would almost certainly miss my current home and more so the structure of my life today. The simplicity of it all. For the first time in my life the risk of losing what has been earned has begun to exceed potential opportunity. It’s still difficult for me to accept it, but knowing this has allowed me to confidently pass on opportunities I would have never said no to a few years back.

Conclusion

I used the word balance, and I think that applies here. A lot of hard chargers don’t like that word. I was one of them for years, and back then I didn’t care about balance either. As milestones began to unravel, balance snuck its way in. While I’m still very motivated today, my goals are different. Happiness and contentment are more important than ever. I’ve never cared about being wealthy, but being comfortable is paramount today. Autonomy is more valued than I ever would have guessed. Retirement is looming and I’m thinking more about it. Plans are underway to set my family up for the long term. I’ve come to the realization the twilight of my career has begun, and I’m good with it.

Your story is different than mine. Perhaps relocating to far away places as I have numerous times over the years isn’t an option. Society is changing. I don’t see the newer generation being as ambitious as my own, and in a way I applaud them for it. Priorities are different than in years past. Committing to your career has a different connotation today. The world has always been comprised of lions and gazelles, and it’s completely fine. To each their own I say. Life is what you make of it, and if you’re content with where you are today then good. Own it. I want everyone to be happy. If you still feel you have more to achieve, then maybe good enough isn’t good enough for you just yet. I say that’s great too. Keep on keeping on if that’s the case. I wish all of you success and happiness in your journey. Until next time thank you for reading, and please take care of yourself and the ones you love.