“From Good to Great is nice, but knowing when great is good enough is even better.”

This is a daily reminder for me — to remind myself that perfect is the enemy of great. I have always set very high standards for myself. I have always invested hours to improve my skills, my knowledge and it is safe to say I am a very persistent person.

One example I can share is from my early days in advertising, fresh out of university with a bachelor’s in visual communication — and visiting agencies in the region with my portfolio. One of the said advertising agencies, the leading one and a place I really wanted to work, was one of the agencies I visited, quite nervous but committed to giving it my all. I sat down with the founder and creative director and showed them my work, which he was quite impressed with and stated was of high quality — but sadly he didn’t have any open position for me at the agency. My last question before wrapping up was, his advice was for a young aspiring art director? He answered “Just call once a month to different agencies, and eventually someone will give you a job”

I am not sure he realised who he actually was talking to, and how determined and persistent I am — but for the next 3 years I called him, once a month, to remind him of who I am, and if he had a position open yet. And, after three years, I got in. He just said on the phone; “Arnt, I am tired of getting your call every month, so come in again on Monday, show your work, and let’s find a spot for you”

I stayed at the agency for 3 years, before I started my own agency with two other creative souls. I learned a lot from this guy, he was intimidating, challenging, and set extreme standards, but thanks to him, I learned that good is not acceptable, and there is no such thing as perfect. The golden spot is knowing when great is good enough.

How do you apply yourself? Do you always push yourself to deliver at your utmost level on a daily — or is it more about working smart, knowing when it’s good enough and moving on to the next task.

How do you know when great is good enough?