Mediocrity: When 'Good Enough' Is Okay

Have you ever wanted to be Mediocre?

Most of us are in a constant pursuit of excellence. We live in a hustle culture where being the best is the goal—best employee, best leader, best partner, best parent, best volunteer. It took me quitting my job to "reset" and continuing at the same relentless pace to realize: I am the whole problem. I could not stop pursuing excellence in everything I did.

Let's put this into a simple scale: Excellence, Mediocrity, and Neglect.

For a long time, I felt like everything I did had to be in pursuit of excellence—except when it came to myself. When it came to me, I defaulted to neglect. Leaving my job, which I was happy to blame, did not help. I just replaced those tasks with new tasks to be excellent at.

My first real breakthrough was setting a goal for myself: Meet mediocrity for my own self-care. Whether mental or physical care, I had to stop the cycle of neglect and aim for something better, something sustainable.

The Reality of Neglect: Who else sits in a pedicure chair, where you're supposed to be relaxing, but instead spends the entire time catching up on emails and messages? You finish, and suddenly realize you don’t even remember being there. This is what I mean by neglect—turning what should be self-care into general maintenance. Focused on everyone except yourself!

To stop this cycle, I had to reframe my approach. I needed to move from neglect to mediocrity.

But to do that, I had to let go of excellence in other areas. And let me tell you, this was REALLY difficult. When I tried to list everything that could be "good enough," my brain screamed, "Nope, not that!" at almost everything. So, I approached it differently.

What Must Be Excellent? Instead of trying to figure out what could be mediocre, I asked: What absolutely MUST be excellent? I gave myself a hard limit: 3 things personally, 3 things professionally, and 3 things for others (family, friends, volunteer work). For you, this could include a category like parenting.

These became the things I focus on. Everything else? I set a goal to allow myself to stop at mediocrity. And that’s where the true shift happened.

Mediocre Is Not a Dirty Word I get it—mediocrity has a bad reputation. But let me share a quick story.

In the past, if I saw a dust bunny under the couch, I’d move the whole couch. While doing that, I'd notice some dog hair under the cushions, and the next thing you know, I'd spend 2 hours deep-cleaning the entire couch. No one but me noticed it needed cleaning. It really wasn’t that bad. Now? I see a dust bunny and think, "It’ll be fine for now."

I’m not saying you should produce low-quality work where it matters. What I am saying is: Focus on what truly matters and stop burning yourself out on dust bunnies.

Steps to Embrace Mediocrity (and Avoid Burnout):

1. Identify What Must Be Excellent: Start by choosing your top 3 categories and then listing 3 things that must be excellent in each of them. These are the areas where you focus your energy and time.
2. Set Clear Limits: Allow yourself to embrace "good enough" in everything outside your list of excellence. This might feel hard at first, but it’s about freeing yourself from unnecessary perfectionism.
3. Reframe Your Self-Care: Don’t let self-care become another task on your to-do list. Practice being fully present in moments meant for you—whether it's during a pedicure, a walk, or a quiet cup of tea.
4. Check in With Yourself Regularly: Set a regular check-in with yourself to make sure you aren’t slipping back into neglect for your own needs. Ask, "Am I taking care of myself the way I would take care of the things on my excellence list?"

Mediocrity doesn't mean you're not doing well; it means you're choosing where to spend your energy wisely. It’s about balance, and it's about giving yourself permission to stop striving for excellence in every corner of your life. After all, life is about more than just dust bunnies.

Once you stop neglecting yourself and mediocrity becomes a habit, you’ll find that you have more energy and clarity for what truly matters. When that happens, it’s time to set new goals for excellence—for yourself. Whether it’s investing in your physical health, learning something new, or nurturing your mental well-being, allow yourself to evolve. Excellence for yourself is possible when you stop burning out on everything else. Give yourself the space to grow, and when you’re ready, pursue those new goals with intention. After all, you deserve it.