Satisfied - Is That Enough?

What are Athos, Porthos, and Aramis? No it's not the Olympic motto. I'll help you here, d'Artagnan became the fourth. Musketeers! (Not mousketeers - that was Saturday morning when you were a kid - jeepers read a book already). And now there seems to be a fifth trying desperately to become a musketeer. His name is Mediocrity.

Apparently being satisfied with mediocrity IS enough today. People seem to be satisfied with a "good enough" performance. And you, as a customer or client, when you accept someone else's "good enough," you give their sub-par performance your stamp of approval.

Satisfied people DON'T search for more. Ignorance really is bliss. People seem to be happy not knowing that they can do better. If someone were to tell them that more was expected of them, they then wouldn't be satisfied anymore. I mean, how can you be really satisfied when you're in an argument with a client over the quality of your work and your argument is, "it's good enough."

Client: "Your work sucks!"

You: "Oh yeah? Well, ... well, ... uh ... you suck. Na na na boo-boo!"

The sad truth is that many of you, some reading this right now, don't think you need to improve. You are still out looking for new customers, new opportunities, new promotions and new accolades in spite of your knowledge that there are others who are better than you are. Regardless of that fact, you still try to offer you your sub-standard self knowing full well someone else is better, more proficient and more knowledgeable than you. Apparently you've decided that your clients, customers, bosses and co-workers aren't worthy of more from you. You won't work on yourself and instead you sit in front of the TV at night and wonder why business or the state of your career isn't better.

"Oh, but wait Big Brother is coming on. I NEED to watch this episode just in case my customers ask me about it tomorrow."

You blame the economy for your poor performance (regardless of others who are still succeeding in spite of the economy). You blame the price, the design, the color, the delivery, the opportunities, the financing, your bosses and your competitors for your "good enough" performance.

"When the economy, the price, the color, etc., gets better, then I'll get better," you say. Nothing but a load of excuses. That's like waiting for all of the traffic lights to turn green before you leave for work in the morning.

"Good enough" has become epidemic in the workplace. You should never be satisfied. "Good enough" is an awful attitude to approach your work with. Hell, any moron can achieve "good enough." It's what's beyond "good enough" that makes you special and stand out.

I believe it was Bob Dylan who said, "Just when you thought you had nothing left to give, you find out you did."

So what have you got that you haven't shown yet?

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Attitude w/ ATTITUDE

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