GOOD ENOUGH? 5 ways to measure the quality of your work

Perfectionists. Are you one? Do you know one? I am not a perfectionist, but I have worked with a few, and they are tortured souls. Their obsessive focus on producing or being perfect drives them to heights and weighs them down. In his book 'Finish,' Jon Acuff writes extensively about the anchor that perfect can be to productivity. 'The opposite of perfect is not failure. The opposite of perfect is finished.' *noodle on that quote* He says perfectionism magnifies mistakes and minimizes progress. Acuff's point is that productivity is more about knowing what's good enough and moving on. 

But

We avoid saying, 'That's good enough' because excellence is the goal. *Free tip: never try to alleviate a perfectionist's stress by telling them their work is good enough.* But, how do you know when you've done good work? How do you know when your efforts are good enough?

Here are five ways to measure the quality of your work

Is your work on time? 

Occasionally, my children have turned in an A+ assignment and only received a B. Why? Because it was late. Late work undermines good work. 

Is your work detailed? 

Have you ever considered the intricate details of anything in nature? The enormous complexity of the most minor factors is present in every living thing. Or how about a historically great painting? There is a direct correlation between detailed work and good work. 

Is your work producing the desired outcome? 

‘Green and clean’. That was the objective that young Stephen Covey, iconic leadership guru, was given by his father for his chore of yard work. Covey said it was a powerful lesson on the importance of not just trying hard but producing a desired outcome. Good work must hit the target. 

Is your work good relative to the market? 

Social scientist Dr. Adam Grant recently tweeted, 'Comparison is NOT the thief of joy. Comparing yourself to others doing good work is the key to growth.' Do you know the market ‘out there’ and how your work stacks up? Who in your space is doing good work? Don't shy away from trying to measure up. 

Are you enthusiastic about your work? 

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.’ Pastor Tim Keller calls good work the 'ministry of excellence' and said it is extra attractive when we do it with great enthusiasm. Michael Jordan, describing enthusiasm, said, ‘Light yourself on fire, and people will come from miles to watch you burn.’ That gets me fired up! *see what I did there?*

What you do matters. How you do it can make it matter even more. 

I’ll close with my favorite Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. thought: 

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, ‘Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.’"

Keep on, keepin' on, friends!

Bite Down and Don’t Let Go is a collection of writings on relentlessly leading yourself and others well. Read about it more here. You can listen to the Bite Down and Don't Let Go podcast here! 

Dr. Chris Hobbs is an educational leader with more than two decades of experience. He’s earned a few degrees and won some awards. He’s happily married to his high school sweetheart, and they have three children. Life is messy and complicated most of the time. You can follow him on Twitter for inspirational thoughts and good laughs.