How much is enough?

In the age of consumption, too much is never enough. We are bombarded with messages exhorting us to get more, be more, buy more, use more, “How much data in your mobile plan? Will it be enough?” Messages on productivity exclaim, “Don’t have enough time? try these productivity hacks!”, “Feeling tired? Are you getting enough sleep?, vitamin D? Downtime?”, Are you getting enough from your portfolio?

LinkedIn is full of polls asking about salaries and, “are they enough?”, or articles asking if you do enough exercise, prospecting, networking? People debate if attitude or experience are enough to get a job versus an Ivy League degree. Even the great resignation raises the question, “why are so many employees saying “enough!"

So just how much IS enough? Over the past 18 months as we have all struggled with the rollercoaster of emotions, rule changes and health advisories so I’ve worked with numerous clients to find their enough.

The questions have developed some recurring conversations. What is enough time to spend at work, with family, with friends? How much is enough time spent on study, meditation, hobbies or social issues? How much food, exercise or play time is enough? How high in the organization do I want to rise — is it enough? Boiling down to a few key areas: Career, Health, Relationships and Purpose.

And what I’ve found is that “enough” is not a universal constant. Enough for one is overwhelming for another, enough for you is way to little for me, enough for him is under performing for her.

We each decide our own enough. You might think to yourself that this is obvious, but stop for a moment and reflect. Whose definition of “enough” are you using, in your relationships, career, job, health?

Enough is a big big idea when applied to the facets of your life. Are you clear enough?