How Much Is Enough?

How Much is Enough?

And according to whom?

Is 40 hours a week “enough” in the work arena for where you’re going, for what you expect out of work and life, and for all the things you’re “entitled to”?  I’ve had some employees for whom 20 hours a week was more than “enough”, considering the productive work they did.  But they continued to put in their 40 hours.  Wow!  Is that dedication or what!?!

Sometimes we determine what “enough” is by counting backwards from what constitutes “too much”.  For some, getting to work on time is too much.  For a considerable number, “too much” is whatever interferes with their indulgences and comfort zone. 

Often we determine what “enough” is by what we perceive got us to where we are.  In fact, what got us where we are was a sizeable apportionment of “forgivable loans”.  Such “loans” are investments society and parents make to assure that we can become independently capable of investing our own education (mostly accrued on their dollar), time and energy toward making wise choices to support ourselves.  But the way things work is that the loans become less “forgivable” with time.  It’s a sobering realization to wake up and find – all of a sudden /\ neversomuch too soon – that we’re completely responsible for our own welfare. 

Sometimes we conjecture that “enough” is what we perceive others are doing [or “getting away with”] … all other things being equal.  But our perceptions can be all wrong and “all other things” are hardly ever equal.  Some people have more talent; some have more skill; some have rich uncles; some are skimping on savings; some are sacrificing substantial amounts of personal time; some are spending an hour-a-day at the gym, bringing work home, reading professional journals and going to bed early instead of watching 6 hours of television; some have a lot of family support; some are in debt over their heads; some are more articulate; some are a better “fit” for certain circumstances; and some are running way ahead of themselves.  More to the point, nobody is going where we’re going – wherever that is … unless it’s going down the tubes to oblivion, and that group has lots of company.   

Finally, how much is “enough” to see our Dreams realized?  For starters, it’s not “enough” simply to stand on the shore waiting for “our ship to come in”.  And it’s not “enough” to persist in some non-descript holding pattern while Lady Luck churns her stuff on our behalf through the lottery, bingo or the slot machines. 

You really want to know what “enough” is?

Enough is when you can’t do any more – as in there is nothing more you coulda done.  Life – as we would like to live it and feel fulfilled – is going to take everything we’ve got.

Now get in there/out there and “churn your best stuff” to make the kind of difference in the world that will be worthy of the distinction of which you are worthy and that is yours for the making!   Quartermaster