Great is so close to good, it really doesn’t make sense to stop at just good. When I was in first grade my teacher, Mrs. Scott told us that takes so much effort to get even, you might as well work just a little harder and get ahead.
It takes a lot of work to be good at something. Most of the time, we do not get to good overnight. There is preparation, training, trying, re-trying and perfecting. Think about one of the first things that people ever learn to do – walk. No child goes from crawling to walking across the floor with ease and grace. To the contrary, at the start of things there are shaking steps while holding on to pets, furniture and parents. Later, there are shaky steps from one handhold to the next. Then after countless steps, falls, stops and starts, there is success. The baby, now appropriately called a toddler, is able to walk.
Over the course of a lifetime there will be many instances like this one. Learning to read, ride a bike, drive a car and even run a business. Life events and challenges will occur and you will have to work hard in order to get good at something. You will expend countless hours working to be a good person, a good employee, a good spouse, a good parent, a good entrepreneur and good at a myriad of things. It will take hours upon hours, upon hours to get to good. In fact, it will be exhausting work.
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29 thoughts on “Why Stop at Good When Great is So Close”
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This is a concept that has resonated with me lately about the work I’ve been doing. Thanks for confirming that.
10,000 hours!
Amazing quote!! I need this extra affirmation today!
It is important to never give up even on the bad days. Thank you for the inspiration today!
Thanks for the reminder I often stop at just good because I get tired. This quote will help to push on to become great.
I love this! Why be good when you can be great….what a great thought! Thanks!
Great advice. WE need to shoot for the stars in every part of our lives.
That is so true! I always try to strive for great but I admit sometimes I find myself saying good is good enough.
This is so true! Why settle when you can be spectacular? 😉
This is definitely a great quote. Far too often I stop short of what could be great and I settle for just good enough.
I needed this quote today. Lots of negatives heading our way and I just need some positives.
Very inspirational. Great post.
I am loving that quote because it’s oh so true. We stop at good or mediocre when we can do so much more.
I think that’s simple, sound advice. It is easy to stop when you’re reached a point of being good. Going above and beyond that is usually more rewarding and better remembered too. 😉
You are so motivational and I love this quote.
Great advice! I have a hard time being confident in my abilities but I need to learn to build on my successes.
I couldn’t agree with this more. A lot of people stop at good enough, when they could have done better.
I was just trying to get this point across to my 5-year-old. He was trying to do things faster, because he thought that was better. I tried to explain that if you slow down, focus, and put forth your best effort, you’ll always get the best results. Not sure if that lesson stuck yet, though. 😉
I never really realized until recently how much work it takes, and continues to take, to be good at something. It’s a great lesson.
This is very true, stopping at good is easy. Making something great is much more difficult.
It does take a lot of time and effort to be great at something. The toughest part is sticking to a routine to get the results. Your post are always so inspiring
I agree with you. I strive for better!
Very encouraging. Definitely the truth, sometimes elbow grease pays off!
Yes! I couldn’t agree more! It definitely takes time to move forward/progress, but it is so worth it!
You always inspire me . Love reading your post.
Very good post. Always learn and keep going forward
I love reading your posts. So inspirational!
Very inspiring post. You never know what you can accomplish.
Someone just told me this same thing the other day. Great advice.