Somewhere in the depths of our souls — or perhaps near the surface — lives a Settle Bug, a grim disease that seeks the minimum and settles for “good enough.” A completed project, a job, a life are good enough to pass muster. In our hearts we hold an image of what could have been if we crafted it to be everything it could be, a wondrous and beautiful thing, but it turned out well enough, and so the Settle Bug settles on top of it and we move on.
Inside we object, a least a little: This could have been better, I know I can do better, and the urge — if it’s strong enough — is to take it back and make it better right here and now. That’s another trap — “the perfect is the enemy of the good.” You already completed something and declared it good enough. Let it go.
The way to defeat the Settle Bug lies in the “next time.” Life is short, but not so short that there won’t be a next time, most of the time. Promise yourself at the outset of the next dream that you won’t settle for good enough, and set your sights beyond the minimum acceptable outcome. Instead, aim toward something grand and glorious and outstanding.
There’s a middle ground between “good enough” and the unattainable “perfect.” On that middle ground you’ll find your true potential. First you need to stop communing with the Settle Bug.
