OK is NOT enough – Here’s why. 

Over the years, people have asked me why OK is NOT enough.

Ever wondered about it?
Let me ask you this.

If you went on a holiday and it was just OK, would you go back again?
If you watched a movie that was just OK, would you watch it again?
If you went to a restaurant and it was just OK, would you eat there again?

And by OK I mean the kind of OK you get from your colleague when you ask them how they are doing – nonchalant and unremarkable.

Most people say “Of course not”. They wouldn’t spend time and money to do any of that again; they’d put the time and money towards something even slightly better.

So why would you settle for living an OK life?

Living an OK life is comfortable and convenient, sure, but it’s rarely happy, exciting and fulfilling. At least that’s how most people describe it to me.

If you’re fine with an OK life and how it makes you feel, awesome. I’m happy for you.

But if you want a life that is exciting, fulfilling and will allow you to become the best version of yourself and have what you really want rather than leftovers in the bargain bin, then you need to accept that OK is NOT enough.

In fact, ‘OK’ is the worst place to be in life (in terms of growth), because it’s so easy to get stuck there.

And most people do get stuck there.

Where you want to be is in the Winning Zone, and where you definitely don’t want to be is in The Rut. ‘OK’ is the comfort zone. It’s mediocrity, the place between when life is amazing and when life sucks, where things work out just enough to think you can let be, but not enough that you ever stop thinking “If only…”.

THE WINNING ZONE

The best place to be in is, of course, the winning zone.

Why?

Because when you’re up there, life is exciting, you see results, have momentum, and you believe in yourself. Your mind sees possibilities and opportunities rather than scarcity and limitations. It’s thrilling, it’s fulfilling, life is what you want it to be.

I’m sure you’ve had even just moments when life felt that way.

Do you remember the energy it gave you and how life felt?
Wouldn’t you want to experience it more often?

THE RUT

Contrary to what you might think, when it comes to growth and making improvements to your life, the second-best place is the rut.

Why?

Because it’s when sh*t hits the fan in life.

And when things become this bad and urgent, you’re not asking yourself whether you feel like doing something about it or not. You’re not making excuses and procrastinating.

You just get on with it.

The discomfort or even pain (whether physical or emotional) is so intense and threatening that you’re willing to do anything to minimise or eliminate it.

What does The Rut look like?

It’s when you lose your job and looking for a new one is no longer a question of whether you feel like it or not.
It’s when your doctor tells you that if you don’t lose weight you have 95% chance of a heart attack, and hitting the gym is no longer a question of whether you can find time for it.

The problem is, most people do just enough to get out of the pain and get back to the OK zone – and that’s where they get stuck.

THE OK ZONE

And this is why the OK zone is the most dangerous place to stay in.

Because it’s comfortable and convenient.

There isn’t any great discomfort or urgency.

One can happily survive there.

The OK zone is about surviving, but not about thriving.

People who come to me for coaching foten say the same things.

“I’m OK. I have enough money to get by, I’m living comfortably enough, my relationship is fine, my job is OK, health-wise… well, nothing hurts and I’m not dying.”

“So what’s the problem?” I ask.

“I’m just not happy. I feel like I’m just surviving. I know I’m capable of much more in life. I know if I pushed myself, life could be so much better. I’m afraid that I’ll keep going like this and one day, when it’s too late, I’ll regret not giving it my best when I could have.

I’m doing OK, but I don’t want to settle for just OK. “

That’s how the OK Zone feels.

OK – The zone of tolerable discomfort.

The OK zone is the zone of tolerable discomfort.

That’s when life or the situation you’re in is not great or even really sucks, but it just doesn’t suck enough to do something about it.

Doing something about it would mean letting go of “comfort” and doing something somewhat uncomfortable.

It’s like being on a comfy couch and really needing to pee, but it’s just not quite critical enough to get up and go to the bathroom.
So you wait until it gets unbearable (i.e. you’re in a Rut) and finally get up to deal with it.

This is how some people live their lives.

With standards this low.

To be the least uncomfortable, with minimal effort.

(Note that I said “least uncomfortable” and not “to be comfortable” – because some people really do seek to just be… not uncomfortable.)

Some accept this standard and settle for playing it safe their whole life.

They’ll change the channel on the TV a million times before they change something in their life. Their thumbs will scroll for miles through Instagram envying others but won’t think to ever walk one mile a day to improve their health.

So now you understand why OK is NOT enough.

It’s much more than a tagline.

It’s a philosophy and a personal attitude towards life.

OK is NOT enough is not about greed or never being satisfied.

It’s about never being satisfied with less than what you believe you’re capable of.

It’s about prioritising fulfilment over comfort, growth over mediocrity, thriving over surviving.

It’s about refusing to live with knowing that you could do more, be more, and have more of what life has to offer IF ONLY you really tried, dared, gave it your best and defied your fears, limitations (and yes, sometimes your comfort!).

OK is NOT enough is much more about BEING rather than HAVING.

If you need support to embrace OK is NOT enough, contact me and let’s discuss how we could make it happen.