When Good Enough Is Good Enough: The Perfectionist's Paradox

When I was single, life was simple.

I worked and worked out— going to the job site every morning, plying my skill as an electrician and working toward being a skilled craftsman (not just a journeyman).

Then after work, after a quick shit, shower and shave, and a quick bite, I'd head to the dojang to get there around 3pm and have the place to myself to work on strikes (against the heavy bag and makiwara), techniques and breakfalls.

I made the dojang my home away from home, striving to always be a bit better than I was the day before.

During this time, I would see guys on the job and on the mat saying to me that what they were doing was never good enough and they couldn't move on to the next thing.

But soon I saw it for what it was: procrastination, fear, and laziness.

The guys at work, supposedly working on making it better— to be honest, weren't.

They were "milking it," saying they were working on getting it right but in actuality had been put on a project where they could get away with taking their time and fucking off.

Maybe it was in a difficult location for the boss to check in on them, or there were logistical challenges they could take advantage of, or other ways they could "game" the project to make it take longer.

I would see the same thing on the mat.

When students (looking in the mirror here) were asked when they'd be going up for their next test and ready to put themselves on the line for promotion, they'd give reasons about being perfectionists and their techniques not being good enough yet.

Which may be true, but sometimes perfecting techniques is just fancy procrastination or fear.

In fact, sometimes you can't improve some basic techniques until they're chained together and/or used as the foundation of more advanced techniques.

So working on "improving now" is actually preventing the improvement you desire.

So when is good enough, good enough?

Well, in construction, that's simple: when the work is done in a professional manner, aesthetically pleasing, and built to code— that's good enough.

Any more than that and your employer, the contractor, is losing money "building the space shuttle" when a Ford F-150 is good enough.

In martial arts, especially around the rank of black belt, there's all this "mysticism" and marketing about how badass a black belt is when in all actuality, it's when the real training begins.

It's akin to getting a GED or high school diploma— it means you know enough to now apply yourself to the deeper training.

And even as a black belt, you've only touched the surface on the basics of your art.

You're "good enough," and now you're on the path of mastery, learning the nuances of your art and how you best want to express it through who you are as an artist.

So sometimes good enough is good enough, especially when you're on the endless path of mastery— which is never ending because you never get there and it's never good enough.

Now that's a koan to consider.

The Paradox: High Standards vs. Perfectionism

Here's the tension most people don't understand:

Being a badass requires high expectations.

You refuse to be an 80%er. You strive to be in the 1%. You hold yourself to standards most people would never even consider.

But perfectionism is often just a cop-out.

It's procrastination dressed up in noble language. It's fear wearing the mask of standards.

The question is: How do you know the difference?

High Standards = Growth

High standards push you forward:

• They demand continuous improvement
• They require you to show up consistently
• They force you to face discomfort
• They create accountability to your potential
• They move you toward mastery

High standards make you better.

Perfectionism = Stagnation

Perfectionism keeps you stuck:

• It demands impossible standards before taking action
• It prevents you from testing yourself
• It protects you from the vulnerability of being judged
• It gives you a noble excuse for not progressing
• It keeps you "preparing" instead of performing

Perfectionism keeps you safe.

The Critical Distinction

High standards say: "This isn't where I want to be yet, so I'll keep working and testing myself to get better."

Perfectionism says: "This isn't perfect yet, so I won't test myself or move forward."

High standards are forward-moving.
Perfectionism is circular.

High standards mean you do the work, get feedback, adjust, and do it again— always moving toward the next level.

Perfectionism means you do the work, decide it's not good enough, do it again the same way, decide it's still not good enough, repeat indefinitely— never moving forward.

The Construction Site Lesson: When Good Enough Is Actually Good

In construction, the standard is clear:

• Done in a professional manner
• Aesthetically pleasing
• Built to code

That's good enough.

Not because we're settling for mediocrity, but because anything beyond that is wasting resources on diminishing returns.

The Space Shuttle vs. The F-150

I've seen electricians spend hours making a junction box installation "perfect"— running wires at exact 90-degree angles, making everything symmetrical, creating something that looks like art.

The problem?

That junction box is going to be covered by drywall or installed in an electrical closet. No one will ever see it.

The customer isn't paying for art— they're paying for safe, functional, code-compliant electrical work.

Building the space shuttle when an F-150 is good enough doesn't make you a craftsman— it makes you unprofitable.

• Your employer loses money.
• The project falls behind schedule.
• Other tradesmen get delayed.
• The customer gets frustrated.

All because you confused "good enough" with "not good enough."

The Three-Part Test for Good Enough in Construction

1. Does it work? (Functional)

2. Does it look professional? (Aesthetic)

3. Does it meet code? (Standard)

If the answer is yes to all three, it's good enough.

Spending extra time beyond this isn't craftsmanship— it's either:

• Insecurity (needing external validation through over-performance)
• Procrastination (avoiding the next task)
• Fear (afraid to move to something you haven't mastered yet)
• Gaming the system (milking hours)

None of these are noble.

All of them prevent progress.

The Guys Who Were "Making It Better"

The electricians I worked with who claimed to be perfectionists— the ones who said they were still "working on getting it right"— I watched them closely.

Here's what I noticed:

They'd get assigned to projects that were:

• In hard-to-reach locations where the foreman couldn't easily check on them
• In areas with logistical challenges that could justify delays
• Complex enough that they could claim "complications," troubleshooting was a classic example

And they'd milk it.

They weren't perfecting their craft. They were gaming the system.

They were using "it's not good enough yet" as cover for "I'm fucking off and getting paid for it."

The tell: When the foreman would show up, suddenly they'd have a list of "problems" they'd "discovered" that justified why it was taking so long.

But those problems had existed from day one— they just hadn't mentioned them until they needed an excuse.

Real craftsmen solve problems quickly and move on to the next challenge.

Perfectionists disguised as craftsmen create problems to justify staying comfortable.

The Martial Arts Lesson: When "Not Ready" Is Just Fear

In martial arts, especially as you approach black belt, there's this mystique.

Black belt is supposed to mean you're a badass. You're elite. You're dangerous. You've "mastered" the art.

That's all marketing bullshit.

What Black Belt Actually Means

Black belt means: You know the basics well enough that now the real training can begin.

It's the equivalent of a GED or high school diploma.

You've demonstrated:

• Basic competence in fundamental techniques
• Understanding of core principles
• Ability to receive and apply instruction
• Commitment to the training

That's it.

You haven't mastered anything.

You've barely scratched the surface.

You're "good enough" to now begin the journey of mastery.

Black belt is the beginning, not the end.

The Students Who Were "Never Ready"

I saw students— and I was one of them— who would delay testing for promotion with the excuse:

Sometimes this was legitimate.

You genuinely needed more time to develop the basics before adding complexity.

But often it was bullshit.

It was fear dressed up as standards.

The fear had several flavors:

1. Fear of judgment "What if I test and people see I'm not as good as they think I am?"

2. Fear of failure "What if I don't pass?"

3. Fear of the next level "What if I get promoted and then I'm expected to perform at a higher standard I'm not ready for?"

4. Fear of being a beginner again "Right now I'm good at this belt level. If I move up, I'll be the worst person at the new level."

All of these are valid fears.

But none of them are valid reasons to stay stuck.

The Technique Improvement Trap

Here's what I learned the hard way:

Some techniques can't be improved in isolation.

You can drill a basic punch a thousand times. You can make it technically perfect on the heavy bag.

But you won't actually improve it until you:

• Chain it with other techniques in combinations
• Use it in sparring against resistance
• Apply it in different contexts and situations
• Build the advanced techniques that depend on it as a foundation

Staying at the "perfecting the basic punch" stage indefinitely doesn't make you better— it prevents you from getting better.

You need to test yourself at the next level to actually improve the basics.

When Good Enough Is Good Enough in Martial Arts

Your techniques don't need to be perfect to test for the next rank.

They need to be:

1. Fundamentally sound (You understand the principle and can execute it correctly)

2. Consistent (You can do it reliably, not just once)

3. Applicable (You can use it in context, not just in isolation)

If those three things are true, you're good enough to test.

Not because the standards are low, but because the testing itself is part of the learning process.

You don't wait until you're "ready" to test.

You test to see if you're ready, and you learn from the experience regardless of the outcome.

The Perfectionism Disguises

Perfectionism is sneaky.

It disguises itself as virtue.

Here are the masks it wears:

1. "I Have High Standards"

What it sounds like: "I refuse to do mediocre work. I'm not moving forward until this is excellent."

What it actually is: "I'm afraid to be judged, so I'll stay in the comfort zone of endless preparation."

The test: Are you getting feedback and improving, or are you working in isolation and never putting yourself on the line?

2. "I'm a Craftsman"

What it sounds like: "I take pride in my work. I don't cut corners."

What it actually is: "I'm spending time on details that don't matter to justify not moving to the next challenge."

The test: Are you meeting the functional, aesthetic, and standard requirements, or are you adding unnecessary complexity?

3. "I Want to Be Really Ready"

What it sounds like: "I don't want to embarrass myself or waste anyone's time by testing before I'm prepared."

What it actually is: "I'm afraid of being vulnerable and possibly failing."

The test: Have you gotten feedback from qualified people that you're not ready, or are you self-imposing this limitation?

4. "I'm Detail-Oriented"

What it sounds like: "I notice things others miss and I make sure everything is right."

What it actually is: "I focus on details that don't matter to avoid the bigger challenges that scare me."

The test: Are the details you're focused on actually improving the outcome, or are they just keeping you busy?

The 1% vs. The 80%: Where Perfectionism Fits

Being in the 1% requires:

• High standards
• Consistent effort
• Willingness to be uncomfortable
• Commitment to continuous improvement
• Refusal to settle for mediocrity

Being a perfectionist creates:

• Impossible standards
• Inconsistent progress (lots of preparation, little execution)
• Comfort in "perfecting" what you already know
• Stagnation disguised as diligence
• Mediocre results despite high effort

The 1% are high performers who ship work and get feedback.

Perfectionists are high preparers who never ship and avoid feedback.

The 80%ers Who Hide Behind Perfectionism

Here's the cruel irony:

The guys who claimed to be perfectionists— both on the job site and on the mat— were often actually 80%ers in disguise.

The real 20%ers:

• Set high standards
• Meet those standards consistently
• Move on to the next challenge
• Stack improvements over time
• Become exceptional through volume and feedback

The 80%ers disguised as perfectionists:

• Claim high standards
• Never actually meet them (because they keep moving the goalposts)
• Stay comfortable in "preparation"
• Avoid feedback and testing
• Remain mediocre despite years of "perfecting"

True excellence comes from doing good work repeatedly and learning from it.

Perfectionism prevents you from doing enough repetitions to actually become excellent.

The Path of Mastery: Where Good Enough Meets Never Good Enough

Here's the koan that resolves the paradox:

On the path of mastery, you're simultaneously:

• Good enough to move forward
• Never good enough to stop improving

This isn't a contradiction— it's the nature of mastery.

The Black Belt Paradox

As a black belt, you've demonstrated:

• You're "good enough" at the basics to now train at a higher level
• Your basics are nowhere near mastery and will be refined for decades

Both are true simultaneously.

You don't delay getting your black belt until your basics are "perfect"— they never will be.

You get your black belt when your basics are good enough to support advanced training, and then you spend the rest of your martial arts life continuing to refine them.

The basics are never "done."

You're always improving them.

But you don't improve them in isolation— you improve them through the context of advanced application.

The Craftsman Paradox

As a skilled craftsman, you've demonstrated:

• You can complete work to professional standards consistently
• There's always room to improve efficiency, quality, and artistry

Both are true simultaneously.

You don't delay finishing projects until they're "perfect"— they never will be.

You finish them when they meet professional standards, and then you apply what you learned to the next project.

Your craft is never "done."

You're always improving. But you don't improve by endlessly polishing one project— you improve through the cumulative learning of completing many projects.

How to Know When Good Enough Is Good Enough

Here's the framework:

The Three Questions

1. Does it meet the objective standard?

• In construction: Is it functional, aesthetic, and to code?
• In martial arts: Can you demonstrate the technique fundamentally sound, consistently, and in context?
• In any domain: Does it meet the clearly defined success criteria?

If yes, it's good enough to ship/test/move forward.

2. Are you avoiding the next step because of legitimate skill gaps or because of fear?

• Legitimate: "I can't do the advanced technique because I haven't developed the foundational strength/skill yet."
  • I learned this the hard way when taking calculus, I did not know how to apply the trig identities well enough to be able to solve the problems and so I failed the class
• Fear: "I could probably do the advanced technique, but I'm scared to try because I might look bad."

If it's fear, move forward anyway.

3. Will additional time on this task actually improve your long-term development, or is it preventing it?

• Improves: "Spending more time on this foundation will enable everything built on top of it."
• Prevents: "I can't actually improve this further until I apply it in more advanced contexts."

If it's preventing, move forward.

The Feedback Loop Test

High standards with healthy execution:

1. Do the work to the defined standard
2. Ship/test/put it on the line
3. Get feedback
4. Integrate the learning
5. Do the next thing better
6. Repeat

Perfectionism disguised as standards:

1. Do the work beyond the defined standard
2. Decide it's not good enough
3. Do it again (often the exact same way)
4. Still decide it's not good enough
5. Never ship/test/put it on the line
6. Never get real feedback
7. Never actually improve

If you're in the first loop, keep going.

If you're in the second loop, ship it now.

The Cost of Perfectionism vs. The Cost of Shipping "Good Enough"

What Perfectionism Costs

On the job:

• Projects run over time and budget
• Employers lose money
• You develop a reputation for being slow
• You get assigned to projects where dawdling is acceptable
• You never develop speed and efficiency
• Your career stagnates

On the mat:

• You delay testing indefinitely
• You never get feedback on what you actually need to work on
• You never develop the advanced techniques that improve the basics
• You watch junior students surpass you
• You develop a reputation for lacking courage
• Your martial arts development stagnates

In life:

• You never ship your ideas
• You never start the business
• You never make the ask
• You never take the leap
• You live in preparation instead of participation
• You reach the end of your life with a lot of potential and few results

What Shipping "Good Enough" Costs

On the job:

• Occasionally something isn't quite as polished as it could be
• You might get feedback that requires adjustment
• You might have to redo something (rarely, if your "good enough" truly meets standards)

On the mat:

• You might test and not pass
• You might demonstrate a technique that isn't perfect
• You might look foolish momentarily

In life:

• Your first attempt might not be your best work
• People might criticize you
• You might fail and have to try again

Notice something?

The costs of shipping "good enough" are temporary and recoverable. The costs of perfectionism are permanent and compounding.

The Integration: Be a 1%er Without Being a Perfectionist

Here's how to hold high standards without falling into perfectionism:

1. Define "Good Enough" Clearly

In every domain, know the objective standard:

• Construction: Functional, aesthetic, to code
• Martial arts: Fundamentally sound, consistent, applicable in context
• Business: Solves the customer's problem, delivered on time, meets promised quality
• Creative work: Communicates the core message, resonates with the audience, professional execution

When you meet that standard, ship it.

2. Use Feedback to Improve, Not Perfection to Avoid Feedback

Perfectionists avoid feedback by never shipping.

High performers seek feedback by shipping repeatedly.

The person who ships 10 "good enough" projects and learns from each one will surpass the person who spends the same time perfecting one project every single time.

3. Recognize Fear Disguised as Standards

When you find yourself saying "it's not ready yet," ask:

• Am I genuinely missing critical skills, or am I afraid?
• Will more time actually improve this, or am I stalling?
• What's the worst thing that happens if I ship this now?

Usually the worst case is: You learn something valuable.

4. Embrace "Good Enough" as the Path to Mastery

On the path of mastery:

• Every project/technique/skill is "good enough" to move forward
• Nothing is ever "good enough" to stop improving
• You improve through iteration, not perfection

You don't become a master by perfecting one thing.

You become a master by doing many things well and learning from each.

Conclusion: The Endless Path Where Good Enough Is Good Enough

So when is good enough, good enough?

• When you meet the standard and ship it.
• When you demonstrate competence and test yourself.
• When you've done good work and move on to the next challenge.

And when is it never good enough?

On the endless path of mastery, which is never ending because you never get there.

​That's the koan:​

Both are true.

High standards mean you refuse to do shit work and you consistently deliver professional results.

Perfectionism means you refuse to ship until it's impossible to criticize— which means you never ship.

Be the person with high standards who ships repeatedly and learns from feedback.

Don't be the perfectionist who hides behind "it's not ready yet" and never puts themselves on the line.

The path of mastery isn't about perfecting each step before taking the next one.

It's about taking each step well enough to support the next step, and then walking the path for the rest of your life.

Good enough means you keep moving.

Perfectionism means you stay stuck.

Choose to move.