Easy is the Enemy of Excellence

I was finally ready for the last step. About a week earlier I’d decided to refinish the counter tops in our new house. They were old and I found a kit that promised granite-like counters in one day! Carefully, I followed the instructions, sanding, then priming, applying two coats of new finish to the counters and then sanding it smooth for nearly two hours. After a lot of work, it was time to apply the final sealing coat and declare the job finished.

When my Dad and I arrived at the house to apply the final coat, we both noticed several imperfections. Some spots needed more coating, others had nicks and imperfections that needed touching up. I had a decision to make.

Factoring in drying time, I’d already spent two days working on the project that was supposed to take only one, and I desperately wanted to check it off my to-do list and move on to the next project. I was very tempted to apply the final coat of sealer and declare the job “good enough” and have it done. Fortunately my dad was there to speak reason and remind of something I’ve known for a long time; me that easy is the enemy of excellence.

It would have been much easier to compromise that night, be content with “good enough”, and declare the job done. But what would have been the result? I would have ended up with a counter that looked decent, but not great, and every time I looked at it I would have been reminded that if I’d just put in the effort and had more patience, it would have looked better.

Instead I was patient. Instead of applying the sealing coat that night, we added another coat of counter top coating. I waited another twelve hours for that to dry, and went back the following day to add that sealing coat. In fact, I added two more coats of sealer to be sure that it was perfect. The results? A pretty nice looking counter top.

So what does my kitchen counter have to do with you? We all encounter many times in our day and week where we’re given the option to settle for “okay” or put forth the extra effort and time to make sure it’s done right. You can take the easy way or you can take the path of excellence. What will you choose?