Adam Noakes: trying to do better than good enough

The power of money and the conditioning of business tends to led us all down a path of doing 'good enough'. In some cases, less than good enough.

• Good enough to earn a living
• Good enough to pass
• Good enough to get paid
• Good enough to sell
• Good enough to keep the client happy
• Good enough to get away with it

Good enough. Just good enough.

I'm trying to do better than good enough. Canadian rapper/singer Drake says this, and some designer friends of mine share the notion.

My interest and willingness to participate in activities, business or otherwise, that are focussed on 'good enough', is only growing weaker recently. I don't want to lend my name to things that tick the right amount of boxes on the acceptable sheet. It doesn't fuel my desire to receive only the basic acclaim of fulfilling the standard expectations. I'm trying to do better than good enough.

Everyone is so conditioned to 'good enough', that people both sides of the fence are keen to target good enough, rather than excellence. Perhaps it's the sheer fear of God that people feel over job losses, money problems and genreal life responsibilities, that sways otherwise optimistically minded individuals into the path of 'safely safely' guidelines and ambitions.

Get inspired. Get motivated. Get passionate. But why? Why bother stretching a little bit extra, coming up with another idea? You've already fulfilled the expected or required amount. The answer should be simple. The desire to better than good enough.

I'm not saying we should all be trying to change the world, i'm saying we should all try to do so much better. A while back i started writing a book, the working title was Why 99% of everything in life is bollocks. I didn't get very far with the book. Despite my ability to curse and moan about the sub-standard crap all around us, my drive to do better than good enough in my own world far outweighs the desire to point out flaws that are easy to see.

How this all relates to my world and my job, well, every now and again an example of 'better than good enough' comes along. These things keep me going through periods of unrest and disillusionment with sub-standard expectations and ridiculous restrictions.

A perfect example of this is the Bing Maps campaign by Droga5.

Not everyone will have the kind of money and resource to pull something like that off. But, this isn't an excuse for not making the best out of everything you're doing, and stretching just a little bit more on things.

Then one day, who'll be more likely to be creating wonderful things like the campaign above? You, or the 'good enough' gang?

Someone once said – "Excellence can be obtained if you: ...care more than others think is wise; ...risk more than others think is safe; ...dream more than others think is practical; ...expect more than others think is possible."

Adam Noakes is Head of Strategy at 140 Digital, and is @digitaladam on Twitter.