Does Good Enough = Meh.
I’ve kicked this issue back and forth many, many times. I tend to be a perfectionist when it comes to design. I can make what should have been a simple 30 minute project a monumental 4 hour project. I can have my copywriter and designer redo something until I think it is perfect. But the question that has to be asked on any project is: what is the purpose of this project, and, is it currently in a state that the purpose can be fulfilled? The other question is how do we define “good enough”. Sometimes the assumption is that good enough is not enough to please God. I don’t think that’s true. I believe that excellent is great, but it can get to a place where we’ve spent so much time and resources to get to excellent, we’ve lost focus of the goal. God wants to use us as his instruments and for his glory, but he doesn’t need us or our excellence.
God desires obedience from us, not perfection.
I believe a large part of our ego comes into play when we seek perfection. We want to “knock their socks off” on every project. Truth is, not every project requires the same amount of attention. And, the “knock their socks off” bit is just plain old self seeking glory.
Often times, seeking excellence instead of good enough can be very dangerous. It can bring an uneccesary workload. It can cause a tremendouse amount of stress. And, it can easily affect home and family life.
I say this because I know it. I’ve experienced first hand. And I continue to deal with the struggle of finally letting a project go and moving on.
Some of the things I’m trying to put into practice to get beyond the struggle with perfection:
- ask the question, “is it at a place that it can effectively communicate what’s necessary”
- is the project something that can be handled by a volunteer
- what impact will there be if I knock it out of the park
- what impact will there be if I simply do what needs to be done
- what is the scope of the event that this project is connected to – is that equal to the amount of time and energy spent on the project?
I know people have differing opinions on this, and I have been on both sides of the argument. I’d be curious to know where you stand.
For a different angle, check out Kerry Bural’s post on Ministry Marketing Coach, and Shawn Wood’s post on his personal blog.
About the Author
Bobby Chandler Has Written 66 Articles For Us!
Bobby is the founder of ChurchKreatives and the Director of Communications at Sugar Creek Baptist Church in Sugar Land, TX. His background includes serving as a pastor, church planter, and art director at an ad agency.
