We have a confession to make – we’re not very good at making New Year’s resolutions. Sure – we’re all about “getting fit” and “staying healthy.” But place a Krispy Kreme in front of us and we’ll inhale that sucker before you can say “burning ring of fire…”
Whether it’s personal or professional, a long list of resolutions can be hard to sustain come February or March (…or maybe even the middle of January?) But a simple little mantra – a guiding light – that’s something we can embrace whole heartedly.
Allow us to introduce you to a mantra we live by:
“Good enough” sucks!
Erik introduced us to this little gem a while back, and if you’ve been in his office you may have even seen a framed rendition hanging on his wall.
The idea behind it is simple – don’t settle when it comes to your marketing:
When it comes to your copy… “good enough” sucks
When it comes to your image… “good enough” sucks
When it comes to your website… “good enough” sucks
You get the picture. As marketers, it’s easy to slip into a pattern of routine and to stick with what’s been done in the past. Do any of these phrases sound familiar to you?
It’s easy to do what’s been done before. And as humans it’s natural for us to gravitate towards the familial. But here’s the bottom line – and here’s the reason you should implement the “good enough sucks” litmus test on all your marketing pieces for 2016: if you want to move the marketing needle, you can’t proceed with the status quo.
Creating campaigns that are “good enough” simply isn’t good enough when you truly want to make a difference. If you want measurable results, you can’t create campaigns that are based on strategies or creative concepts that are simply “good enough.”
The way to counteract this is to change your behavior. Changing your behavior stems from “pushing yourself.” Pushing yourself is a way of thinking. You can push yourself mentally or physically, but they both stem from your thinking.
Not pushing yourself is easy, comfortable and reactionary – it’s so simple to just keep doing what you’ve been doing and go with the flow. But pushing your marketing to a new level is proactive, and it forces you to exist in the uncharted arena of new creative approaches.
So in 2016, challenge yourself to create work that is better than “good enough.” Challenge your colleagues to do the same. Ask the difficult questions. Create work you’re truly proud of. Don’t do the expected. And if you feel yourself slipping, just remember that “good enough” never is.
