Blogging From A to Z

G is for Good Enough #atozchallenge

Juli Hoffman

A Procrastinator’s Guide From A to Z

“It’s not just good, it’s good enough!”  

—Jessica Brown

G

G is for Good Enough.

Procrastinators tend to have high standards.  It’s all or nothing.  It’s either perfection or wait until tomorrow.  They hide their skill behind fear.  If they don’t try, there’s no need to worry about being good enough!

Procrastinators are often mistaken for being lazy.  While they may have lazy days—as we all do from time to time—it is not sloth that hampers the procrastinator’s dreams, but fear.

Not good enough.

Not smart enough.

Not qualified enough.

They are never enough!

A procrastinator’s greatest enemy is fear.  Failure is always on the horizon.  What if? What would happen if I worked at a different job?  What if I moved to a new location?  What if I tried to do something I’ve never done before?  What if I fail?

If the procrastinator could embrace good enough in a positive way, to let go of perfectionism and fear, to risk making a fool of themselves, to allow the chance for mistakes, perhaps they would also make a discovery—happiness.  You see, while good enough might be messy, it is also freeing.  A chance for creation.  A chance for recreation.

A good enough first draft gives a writer something to work with.  (You can’t edit something that hasn’t been written.)  A good enough vacation allows time for exploration, a chance to visit that coffee shop on the corner or that class on painting.  It doesn’t always matter if everything works out the way you had planned.  It might NOT work out!  It certainly won’t be perfect, but that’s okay.  It’s good enough!

16 thoughts on “G is for Good Enough #atozchallenge”

  1. I don’t know if you know this, Juli, but I’m a toddler teacher. The most important thing I do for the children is focus on the process of learning and not the outcome. I’m also a huge proponent of creating an intellectually safe environment where mistakes are necessary in order to not just learn but master a skill. This helps me with my personal struggle; allowing fear of making a wrong step paralyze me. I’m telling you this because I know you will understand. Keep up the fantastic posts! You’re all the way through G. XO

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    1. How wonderful! I’m so happy that someone like YOU will be shaping the lives of future generations. 🙂 Isn’t it funny how easy it is to see the necessity of making mistakes in others, especially in children, and not to be able to offer ourselves the same consideration? We are too hard on ourselves!! Thank you for your kind words. xo

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      1. Thanks Ruth Ann. That’s really kind of you to say. Teaching has grown me as a person more than anything else in life (with the exception of being a parent). It sounds cliche but it’s true. The entire process has really forced me towards self-reflection and a tremendous amount of personal growth.

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  4. I read a post by another A to Z er talking about failure and your post rings for me in the same way. We hate to fall short or fail…so good enough is often a hard pill to swallow. I enjoyed your post and look forward to reading more. Thanks, Mike

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    1. I’m sure upbringing plays a part. Yes, wish I wasn’t so enlightened on the topic of procrastination! LOL It would make things so much easier in the real world if this wasn’t one of my struggles. Write about what you know…but not today. Tomorrow would be better! LOL 😉

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