Are You Drifting? The Danger Of Settling For "Good Enough"

By Israel Lang, Executive Consultant, HTG Peer Groups

One of the mantras at HTG is the persistent pursuit of excellence rather than attempting to attain the ever elusive state of perfection. We prefer action and movement rather than the paralysis that naturally results from constant analysis.

This week, however, I was reminded of what happens when we drift just a bit and make a trade-off of the “good enough” variety.

You see we had our first snow last Friday. Yes, on Halloween. This reminded me of the 90+ inches of snow we had last winter. My back became sore just thinking about the hundreds of pounds of snow I moved a year ago with my trusty shovel. (One could question why I don’t have a snow blower, but that is a discussion for another day). From early November to late March we had constant piles of snow.

Did I mention that my driveway is almost 1,500 square feet?

As the snow began to fall in October, we diligently cleared the entire driveway in front of my three-car garage. However, by December shovel-fatigue started to creep in, and we started to take the good enough mentality.

Slowly the three- and then four-foot piles of snow on either side of my driveway began encroaching inward. By February, my three-car garage effectively became a two-car garage as the piles of snow made my third bay inaccessible. It really became a problem when cars started getting stuck as they entered and exited the drive.

The small decision that I made back in December caused a drift from my mission: keeping my drive clear and accessible.

As I reflected yesterday on what I am going to do different this year, I wondered what areas of my personal, professional, and spiritual life I have allowed to drift. What simple, seemingly small decision(s) have I made that had taken me off mission in one of those areas?

I still believe it is better to pursue excellence rather than perfection. I still fight my perfectionistic and deliberative personality tendencies. I work hard on moving forward on goals and gaining momentum. However, I must always allow my mission and values to filter choices when I am making decisions. I must remember that my small decisions today impact my goals for tomorrow.

Life, I am learning, is many times about living in a state of tension and learning to embrace it rather than fight it.

So, as you wrap up Q4, take a few minutes and review your personal and business mission statements.

Evaluate the decisions you made this year and determine how they have impacted where you ultimately want to go. Have they brought you nearer to your ultimate goals?  Or have you allowed a “good enough” mentality to creep in anywhere?

In those areas where you have allowed drifting to occur, make the extra effort to get back on mission. And feel free to send me an e-mail when you see a snow storm headed to Ohio — if this winter is anything like the last, I could use the accountability. I’d also love to hear about one of the goals you’ve set where you most feel tempted to drift. Let’s remind one another to stay accountable to our mission because I know come spring, we’ll both be glad we did.

Israel Lang is part of a team of coaches and consultants serving the IT industry. Prior to joining the HTG Peer Groups staff, he spent almost 20 years in various roles in service and operations at a solutions and managed service provider.  Israel’s company was a member of HTG for many years, and he is a strong proponent of the peer group experience.  He loves helping companies go further faster through developing executives, managers, and teams into effective leaders who reach their fullest potentials. You can reach him at ilang@htgpeergroups.com or on Twitter @israellang.