Enemy of Best

There is an old saying:

Good, better, best

Never let it rest

Get your good, better,

And you’re better, best.

I needed to take my new horse, Angel, to the vet to get her teeth checked because she was thin and had continued to lose weight after the move to New Mexico. Although I had taken some time to get her trailer loading functional (“good enough”) before we left Colorado, it was not very good. (See the article, "Fearful Angel."

I set aside a couple of hours prior to the departure for the vet to make sure that I could have her loading confidently. I set to the task. It took almost half an hour before she would load with little hesitation, but I still needed the help of a long rope looped through a ring near the manger to keep her nose in the right direction. (She was very distractible and kept wanting to look back at JoyFull in the pen.)

I knew it was “good enough” to get us the clinic, but had doubts about getting her loaded to come back home without another training session at the vet clinic. Instead of dropping the subject with her, I let her have a break and then kept reapproaching the subject. Anytime she gave me a bigger try, I’d take her for another break or give her a bite of hay. We kept this up for another hour until she was loading with vigor and staying in longer and longer and even relaxing enough to nibble hay in the trailer. When it was time to go, she loaded better than JoyFull both going to the vet and coming home.

What if I had stopped when it was “good enough”? The problem with “good enough” is that it often leads to forgetfulness. We forget about working on it until the next time the skill is needed. Then we discovery that it is not “good enough” any more and we must take more time to work on it again. It is the old situation of not taking the time it takes to cement the behavior, so you have to take the time to do it over and over and over again. In fact, if the need arises irregularly, the skill may never be mastered or the project finished.

This applies to people and their lives as well. What are you tolerating in your life that is “good enough” instead of putting forth you best effort?

Work performance?

House cleaning or organization?

Weight loss?

Fitness?

Spiritual life?

Financial fitness?

Relationships?

Your calling or purpose?

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.”

Colossians 3:23 NIV

If you knew you were working for the God of the universe, what would you do differently?

You are, you know!